


Anyone In Love

by Laurelin (Lintelomiel)



Series: The More I See You [1]
Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Blow Jobs in a Car, Come Swallowing, Dating, Deepthroating, Explicit Language, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Mild Painplay, Oral Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Riding, Rimming, Road Trips, Romance, Rough Kissing, Semi-Public Sex, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-19
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-08 06:29:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 30,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3198911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lintelomiel/pseuds/Laurelin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a few weeks of filming in New Zealand, Lee realizes he's starting to have feelings for his co-star. But a recent breakup has left him wary, and Richard might not even be gay. Unsure how to proceed, Lee asks his sister for advice (and then does a spectacular job not following it).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This Boy, So Spectacular

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that some names have been deliberately changed, because I don't feel comfortable using the real ones.
> 
> (Story and chapter titles may look familiar to fans of a certain Scottish band.)

([X](https://richleefanficcovers.tumblr.com/post/158817890722/title-anyone-in-love-author-wirkmood))

 

Messages Folder: Sue

10/21/2011

_Hey sis. You at home? XxLee  
_

_Hi BB! Just about to run some errands actually. What's up? How's NZ?  
_

_NZ is amazing. Really good hikes. Having a blast. Need a favor tho. Don't judge me when I tell you what it is.  
_

_Oh boy. OK I'll try.  
_

_There's this actor I work with, guy called Richard Armitage. I need you to go online and find out a few things about him. Who's he dated and when? Str8, gay, bi? Report back ASAP.  
_

_Oh God, Lee. Are you serious?  
_

_Don't judge! This is v important. My gaydar is defective, I can't read this guy.  
_

_OK, I'll get on the computer tonight, when kids are asleep. Gotta go now, TTYL X  
_

_Thanx! Tell the fam hi from me xL_

10/22/2011

_Hi brother. You awake yet?  
_

_Yep, but barely. Waiting for my turn in the make up chair. You got some info?  
_

_I tried, but not much to be found. There was one girl a couple of years ago. One or two pictures on the red carpet, that's it. No gay rumors that I have seen. He seems like a really private guy.  
_

_You can say that again. Thx for trying x  
_

_Aren't you going to tell me what this is about? Do you like him? What about Chris?  
_

_It's pretty much over with C. Sorry, didn't want to say anything before it was official. Don't tell Mom &Dad.  
_

_:( :( For real? Did not see that coming! What happened?  
_

_Grown apart I guess. Still getting used 2 the idea. Haven't been single 4 a long time. I'm OK, a bit sad tho. :'(  
_

_Oh bby. Wish I could hug you right now. If you want to talk, call me anytime xo  
_

_Will do, thanx. What do you think of RA tho?  
_

_Handsome, really gorgeous. But don't rush into anything pls. & be careful! Don't get your <3 broken and make me feel bad for being half a world away.  
_

_I won't. Don't worry about me, k? Gotta go & be an elf now. TTYL xL  
_

_Take care BB. ILY._

***

Peter Jackson was turning 50. To help their director celebrate this milestone, the 'Hobbit' cast and crew wrapped early and hit the road like a traveling circus, creating a massive traffic congestion en route to an entertainment venue near Wellington that had been commandeered for the occasion. With more than a thousand people in attendance, Lee was sure he had never seen a birthday party on a grander scale, but in true Kiwi style, everything went off without a hitch. After an all-you-can-eat buffet, everyone was set loose for a few hours to go watch a movie, play paintball, ride the go-karts or do any of the other various activities on offer. Several of the main cast members opted for ten-pin bowling, and Lee listlessly tagged along. He tried not to be a spoilsport, but he had had an emotionally draining Skype conversation with Chris that morning and he was, to put it mildly, not in a particularly celebratory mood. Evie and also Tami, who both knew about his relationship drama, stuck close by his side in a silent show of support, for which he was grateful.

The stressful process of breaking up, combined with the pressure of playing a complex character in a high-budget, much-anticipated trilogy, meant that Lee had had little time to spare for thoughts of Richard this last week, but when they quite literally bumped into one another at the shoes rack, Lee experienced a brief moment of blessed reprieve from his gloomy thoughts.

"Hey, Lee," Richard said in his pleasant baritone as he smiled that characteristic, demure smile of his and pointed at the bowling shoe Lee held in his hand. "So you're a size 15 as well, eh?"

Lee nodded. "This has been the bane of my life since I was about sixteen." He held up the shoe. "I have so far found one leftie."

"And I have found a right." Richard held up his. "Shall we look for a second pair together?"

They went through the racks for a few minutes, laughing at the absurdity of their predicament, until Richard shrugged and gave Lee the right shoe. "Here, take it. I can probably make do with a size 14."

"Are you sure?" Lee looked around. "Maybe we should ask one of the employees..."

"It's fine, Lee, don't worry about it. In fact, you'll need the advantage. I have a feeling that the others are already setting up a dwarf-elf competition and making us the team captains. Expect to be annihilated."

"By your ragtag band of pint-sized misfits?" Lee laughed, possibly for the first time in a few days. It felt surprisingly good. "Not very likely."

Ten minutes later, the teams _MirkwoodPosse_ (led by 'ThePaceMan') and _Thorin's Boys_ (captained by 'RCHRD ARMTG') were going head to head in neighboring lanes 6 and 7. Unfortunately, some of the dwarves had a really good arm, while some of Lee's team members - most notably Orlando - threw gutterball after gutterball. However, thanks to team spirit and the occasional strike from Lee and Aidan (who had joined the Mirkwood team for obvious reasons despite being taunted mercilessly by his fellow dwarf actors) the elves managed to stay in the match.

"Richard is looking very good today, isn't he?" Tami said semi-casually as she sat down next to Lee and took a sip of her tonic.

Lee, who had just been admiring the way the sleeves of Richard's grey polo shirt spanned around his biceps, gave her a sheepish look. "I have noticed that, yeah."

"Why don't you just go for it? You're a free agent now. What have you got to lose?"

Lee made a face. "Nothing except a good working relationship that is supposed to help make these movies a global success. Besides, Tami, I think he's batting for the other team."

"Hmm... I wouldn't be so sure."

Lee sat up a little straighter. "What do you mean? What have you heard? Does he talk about me?"

"No," she said. "In fact, he makes such a point of _not_ talking about you that it is beginning to get suspicious. With a man like Richard, the things he isn't saying are often the most telling."

Wholly unconvinced by this logic, Lee let the subject go and tried to put Richard out of his mind, but whether it was by divine intervention or sheer dumb coincidence, he found himself standing next to the man at the bar twenty minutes later.

"So the minions sent you to fetch drinks, too?" Richard asked him. "You'd think that they would treat their kings with a little more respect."

"Technically you are not a king yet," Lee replied smoothly, and Richard laughed before rattling off his list of orders to the bartender.

"I have to say, Lee, it's a relief to see you having a good time," Richard said then as he turned to Lee once more. "You seemed so down lately that I was getting worried about you."

Lee flushed a bit and glanced down to hide the effect Richard's words had on him. _The man may not talk much, but he sure does notice things._ Suddenly and unexpectedly, Lee found himself fighting back tears, the first since the split.

"Lee?" Richard leaned a bit closer, hesitantly touching the younger man's arm. "What's wrong? Did I upset you? Oh God, I should have just kept my big mouth shut. I'm such an arsehole."

Richard's guilt only made Lee's throat clog up tighter, but he had to speak up. "No, Rich, it's not your fault. Chris and I broke up recently and I've been a bit fragile, that's all. It'll pass."

"God, Lee, I'm sorry. I had no idea. You were together for a long time, weren't you?"

"Three and a half years." Lee wiped his nose with the back of his hand and cleared his throat. "We've been skyping every day for a week now, trying to get everything sorted, fighting over CD's, that kind of stuff. It's been really fun."

Richard was looking at him with an expression of pained sympathy. "Do you want to step outside for a moment, go for a walk, smoke a cigarette? I'll join you."

"Thanks, but..." Lee forced a smile. "Can't let the team down."

"Spoken like a true leader," Richard joked gently. "Hey, why don't you join me and the dwarves tomorrow for a night on the town? Nesbitt is taking us for a pub crawl around Wellington, Irish style."

"Sounds like fun, but maybe another time. I'm not really up for group activities at the moment, it was taxing enough getting myself pepped up for this one."

Richard nodded in understanding and took the tray with drinks from the bartender. "Just let me know if there is anything I can do, OK? Hang in there, Lee."

"Thanks, Rich. I will."

A few minutes later, as he was waiting for his turn to throw, Lee felt his cell phone buzzing in the back pocket of his jeans. He fished it out, expecting it to be a message from his sister Sue, who had been checking in on him regularly. Instead, the name jumping out at him from the screen was Richard's.

_How about a night at the movies? Next Friday, just you & me._

Lee's heart was beating faster than it should as he looked up. Richard had his cell phone out and was doing a damn good job of looking casual, not making eye contact. Graham threw a strike and Richard leapt up cheering, high-fiving the Scot. Over the din of dwarvish celebrating, Lee could hear Thorin's battle cry of _Du-bekaaar!_

Watching a movie with Richard. Lee let that idea solidify in his mind for a moment. Just a night out with a friend? Or maybe, possibly, a date? Shit, could it be that underneath that rugged man's man, James Bond-like exterior Richard was sporting the rainbow jersey after all?

Lee's cell phone screen had gone dark and he tapped to activate it. His thumbs moved rapidly over the keys. He kept his response short, reading it three times before hitting 'send'. He felt a strange flutter in his gut when the screen changed, notifying him that the message had been delivered.

_Throw in a bucket of popcorn & I'm game._

Although he wished he could play it cool like Richard, Lee could not resist watching the Englishman as he opened his phone and read the message. On Richard's face a smile appeared, and this time he did return Lee's gaze. For a few moments they locked eyes, grinning at each other, and Lee decided that he couldn't care less if the elves lost this competition by a landslide.

He was going on possibly-a-date with Richard.


	2. The Dark of the Matinée

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your kudos and comments! Hope this next chapter will give you what you hoped for :)

"I'm so sorry, Lee," was the first thing Richard said when they walked out of the movie theater that Friday night. "I am so sorry you had to sit through that tripe because of me. Words can not express how spectacularly bad that was. Don't ever let me pick a movie again."

While Lee was still undecided as to whether or not he had been taken out on a date tonight, it was certainly true that all of the decisions had been Richard's. They had driven into town in Richard's rental car, Richard had chosen the location - a charming little theater in one of Wellington's artistic neighborhoods - and the movie had also been his pick. It had turned out to be a totally forgettable _Scream_ ripoff, unfortunately with none of the redeeming qualities that had elevated _Scream_ to cult classic status.

"God, Richard, will you stop beating yourself up over this?" Lee said with some measure of exasperation when they had walked at least two blocks and Richard was still finding different ways to say 'sorry'. "The movie wasn't that bad, honestly."

Richard didn't respond, merely sending him a skeptical look that made Lee smile. "Okay, fine, I will admit that the movie was pretty awful. But even a bad slasher flick still has a certain charm. Besides, the popcorn was tasty, the chairs were comfy..." _And the company wasn't half bad either_ , he finished the sentence in thought. In fact, not having to focus too much on the movie's predictable plotline had worked in his favor, allowing him to be highly aware of the man sitting next to him. The very attractive, very well-groomed man who probably had no idea just how fuckable he looked in his black jeans and form-hugging pinstripe shirt. And if that wasn't enough, every time Richard had leaned towards him to comment on something happening on screen, Lee's nose would catch the non-intrusive scent of Richard's cologne, mixed with the manly smell of leather and a little peppermint. If Richard had in fact meant this as a 'just friends' kind of thing, then it was, from Lee's perspective, without a doubt the most uncomfortably arousing non-date ever.

"I'm sorry," Richard sighed again, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "I just really wanted you to have a good time tonight."

The sincerity in Richard's tone, and the fact that he took his perceived failure so personally, had Lee's heart aching a little bit. "I _am_ having a good time, so stop apologizing when you have nothing to apologize for. And you know what else?"

"What?"

"There is nothing quite like a bad movie to make an actor feel better about himself. We can walk away and think, 'thank God I'm not in that!'"

"True." Richard laughed. "But still, I insist that you pick the movie next time."

 _Next time_. Lee sure liked the sound of that. "I'll give that some thought. There should be some interesting new releases soon, though some of them may not be your taste."

"I'm up for anything."

Lee glanced sideways and swallowed when Richard met and held his gaze a little longer than seemed normal. Jesus-- what kind of double entendre was that, exactly? Was the man just blatantly flirting at this point? Lee had not played the dating game for almost four years, and he felt hopelessly out of practice. Without realizing it, he had slowed his step, nervous sweat pricking at his armpits. He opened his hands to let his clammy palms catch some fresh air.

 _Don't rush into anything,_ his sister had advised him when they spoke on Skype a few days earlier. _Maybe being single for a while is what you need right now._

It was sound advice, it really was; but damn, if this evening was in fact part of some sort of mating ritual - with _Richard_ \- he knew that Sue's cautioning words wouldn't be able to stop him from going down a possibly very risky road. _The Hobbit_ was the project of a lifetime; from a purely professional standpoint, it was the gold ticket to even bigger and better roles. Neither of them could afford to fuck it up, but even more importantly, Lee did not want to let down Peter, Fran and Philippa, who had seen something special in him. He was the first and only actor they had asked to read for the role and he was here, first and foremost, to prove them right for trusting him.

"How about a drink to end the evening?" Richard proposed, pointing at a pub across the street. "My treat."

Lee hesitated, thought about accepting, but eventually opted for honesty. "I'd rather not, Rich. How about we keep strolling for a bit instead? Maybe take a detour back to the car, visit the waterfront."

"Okay," Richard said easily, not the least bit offended, and his smile turned into a grin. "You're a cheap date, Lee."

Lee flushed, and immediately cursed himself for getting so flustered. Just what the hell was he, a twelve-year-old girl with a crush? He had been a player once, a Texan boy living it up in New York and picking up men in gay clubs during his Juilliard days. Why did that Lee feel like such a distant stranger to him now, standing here under a Wellington street lamp with a gorgeous blue-eyed Englishman? And why did he know for a fact that he wouldn't want to trade this very mundane setting for any glamorous club in the world?

As they walked on side by side, the conversation soon turned to everyday life on set - the physical challenges of playing non-human characters, the little accidents and mishaps, the frustrations, the joys and the laughs, and at the end of the day, the absolute certainty that an experience like this came only once in a lifetime.

"For us mere mortals, at least," Richard amended. "The rules don't apply when you're Orlando Bloom or Cate Blanchett."

"Or Jed Brophy," Lee said with a laugh. "How many characters did he play in 'Rings' again?"

"Gosh, I think he lost count himself at some point. Ten, at least."

"That would make for a rad drinking game," Lee mused. "Take a shot of liquor every time Jed Brophy appears on screen in some shape or form."

"Or Kiran Shah, if you want to get really sloshed."

Lee smiled and tipped his head back, sucking his lungs full of sea air. "It is pretty amazing though, isn't it? That we get to do this? Just the other day I was visiting Weta, and when I see what those people there are doing, I pinch myself."

"I know, it's just gobsmacking," Richard agreed. "The day I got the call from my agent-- I just knew then and there that my life would never be the same."

They spent some time ambling along the seaside, talking and taking in the sights at the harbor. There was little activity on the water at this hour, and the massive _Interislander_ ferry lay docked at the pier, waiting to be loaded and depart for Picton in the morning.

"Once I get a few days off, I really want to take that ferry and visit the South Island," Lee said. "Have you made the trip yet?"

"A couple of times," Richard replied. "The crossing is just spectacular; especially the last hour or so, when the Marlborough Sounds loom up out of the mist. It will take your breath away."

"I should probably get my ass in gear and rent a car then," Lee said, adding with a self-conscious grin, "I miss having a car, but I've been stalling if I'm honest. The left-right thing intimidates me. It's bad enough wrecking your own car, but a rental?"

The sea breeze started picking up, they noticed, which likely meant that rain was on its way. They walked back to the car without further detours, collars up and hands stuffed deep into their pockets. It was getting late too, and although Richard never complained, Lee knew that getting up at 5 AM every morning and spending the next three hours in the make-up chair was no picknick.

When they reached the parked blue Toyota Corolla, Richard dangled the key tantalizingly in front of Lee's eyes. "It's yours if you want to give it a try."

"Are you actually serious?"

"Can you drive a standard?"

"Yes. My first car was a standard. I loved that car to bits. When I moved out of my parents' home, I put everything I owned in the trunk and drove to New York. Most exciting road trip of my life."

"Well, then." Richard dropped the key in Lee's hand and walked around the car to the passenger's side. Before getting in, he grinned at Lee over the roof of the car. "Don't worry. It's not my rental but one of the studio's. If by any chance you should drive us off the road, they will pay for any damages insurance doesn't cover."

***

Lee did not in fact steer the car off the road during the 15-minute drive back to the studio parking lot. He loved driving - had been told he was good at it - and although he fumbled with the gears a few times, with the help of Richard's tips he soon got the hang of it. The fact that the roads were practically empty helped too, of course, but Lee didn't let that detail diminish his sense of accomplishment.

"I definitely gotta go get me one of these," he said as he put the car in park and switched off the engine. He patted the steering wheel affectionately, running his fingers over the smooth leather. "That felt surprisingly good."

"I'm impressed, Lee," Richard said, taking off his seat belt. "I would never have guessed that was your first time."

"Well," Lee said with a sideways smile, "I guess having a born and bred Englishman next to me, boosting my confidence, made all the difference." The line left his mouth smoothly, so maybe he was getting his groove back already. _Anything you can do, Mr. Armitage..._

Richard smiled back, and as the first thick drops of rain began to hit the roof and windshield, neither man looked away and neither moved to get out of the car. The silence between them stretched on and on, until Lee couldn't take it anymore.

"What is going on here, Richard?" he asked, in a soft voice that was nearly drowned out by the rain as it came pelting down harder and harder.

"What do you mean?" The headlights of a distantly passing car shone briefly on Richard's face, but he didn't seem to notice; his eyes remained firmly fixed on Lee.

"This moment right here," Lee said. "Why is it awkward? Why does it feel like we've been on a date?"

"Perhaps because we have been," Richard replied, low. "What did you think this was if not a date?"

His co-star was really laying on that English gentleman charm, and Lee felt a bit dizzy. He wanted to say something sensible, to mumble some trite, overused phrase about having just come out of a serious relationship, but the words got lost somewhere on the way to his mouth. Instead he just watched, and waited, as Richard shifted in his seat and slowly leaned across the gear stick.

Lee had forgotten how lovely it was to be kissed in a quiet, dark car, with the rain clattering down all around that warm, private cocoon. The fact that it was a first kiss, a first soft, tentative yet knee-jellifying exploration, only made the moment that much more tender and - Lee had never used the word loosely, but here it seemed apt - romantic.

Definitely a date, then; and a pretty damn successful one by any standards.


	3. This Is What I Am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter this time. Enjoy! (And please, keep your lovely comments coming)

Kissing Richard was every bit as wonderful as Lee had imagined-- and he liked to think that he had quite a lively imagination. That first exchange - a shy, gentle and lingering meeting of the lips - lasted several long moments, and Lee was sure that neither of them drew breath during that time. When they broke apart to look at each other, gauging, weighing the significance of the moment, Richard cleared his throat almost inaudibly. "Lee..." 

Lee shook his head to indicate that words weren't necessary and leaned back in, turning counterclockwise in the driver's seat as far as his legs would allow to put himself in the best position for some serious making out. This time the kiss quickly escalated to become something much more heated, something that lacked entirely the restraint and stillness of their first exchange. Richard's hand cupped the back of Lee's head, fingers weaving through his hair and pressing into his scalp as he tried to pull them even closer, and Lee grabbed the collar of Richard's shirt as they took turns delving hungrily into each other's mouths like a pair of long-lost lovers who poured many years' worth of kisses into one, and Lee knew even before it ended that he was in deep trouble. 

"Wait, hang on," he gasped as he pulled back, releasing Richard's lips but not his grip on his shirt. "Let's assess for a moment." 

"Okay," Richard agreed breathlessly, glazed-over eyes slowly regaining focus. "Yeah. Good idea." 

Lee increased the distance a bit more, trying not to notice how flushed and alluring Richard's mouth looked. "Is this a smart thing for us to be doing, Rich?" 

"Possibly not," Richard said. "And I'm almost sure I don't care." 

"We work together." 

"Yes." 

"I'm fresh out of a long-term relationship." 

"Yes." 

"We live on different sides of the Atlantic." 

Richard grinned. "Not right now, we don't." 

Lee looked at him for a moment or two, something cold settling in the pit of his stomach. When he spoke, something of that coldness slipped into his voice as well. "What do you want from me, Rich? A blowjob here in the parking lot? A quick fuck to scratch an itch? Because if that's the case, then... thanks, but no thanks. The train I'm on left that station a long time ago. I'm past the point of sticky fumblings in the back seats of cars. Or front seats, as the case may be." 

Richard flushed, turning ever redder as Lee spoke. He was stammering a bit when he replied, "God no, Lee, that's not how I want this to go down at all. I asked you out because I genuinely like you. I feel comfortable around you and I think... I think we could be great together, in every way. When we're around each other, I feel there is something between us, call it chemistry, or an attraction... Haven't you felt that?" 

Lee, whose insides had warmed right back up at Richard's earnest declarations, nodded. "Yeah, I've felt it." 

Richard took Lee's hand, turning it around and tentatively lacing their fingers together. "I want us to do this the proper way. Go on a couple of dates, feed each other ice cream in a fancy restaurant, maybe enjoy a little snogging in the back row of a movie theater... and if all that goes well, we could start thinking about, uh, those other things." 

Richard was blushing again, and Lee smiled, unable to resist the temptation of teasing Richard just a little bit more. "I get it, you want to date your way into my pants. How very gentlemanly of you." 

Richard's reddened face was nearly luminescent in the darkness, and Lee took pity, leaning in and briefly kissing Rich's lips to apologize for his harsh words earlier. "Do we tell Peter?" 

"Eventually we'll have to. But as long as we keep it professional on set, I think it can wait a while, don't you?" 

"Agreed." Lee looked at their joined hands. As a teen he had been unpleasantly aware of how everything about him looked stretched out and skinny and out of proportion - a stick figure on steroids, his PE teacher, Mr. Blinker, had once called him - but even though Richard was two or three inches shorter than him, they were physically each other's equals in almost every way. He liked that. He liked that a lot. 

"Not that it matters, Rich," he said, "but have you dated men before? Until tonight I wasn't even sure if I had the equipment you were looking for." 

"A fair question." Richard smiled, somewhat sheepishly. "I... have been attracted to men in the past, but it never turned into anything physical. My relationships have all been with women." 

The confession took Lee aback somewhat, and he had to make an effort not to let that show. He had considered the possibility that Richard might be bisexual, but Richard's lack of sexual experience with men came as a surprise. "Why did it never turn physical, until now?" 

Richard lowered his eyes. "Either I was too chickenshit to act, or the timing wasn't right, or I didn't give off the right signals... With women, it always sort of happened naturally. When it comes to other blokes, I'm just clueless." 

"I would never have guessed, going by what I've seen tonight." 

"That is because it feels right with you." Richard squeezed Lee's fingers to put emphasis on his words. "You don't make me feel nervous, or afraid. I just know I want to spend time with you, learn everything there is to know about you. I want to know what makes you angry and what gives you joy. I want to know what you look like sleeping and how you like your eggs. I want to know all that stuff." He paused abruptly, as if stopping himself from saying more, and gave Lee an embarrassed look. "Sorry, did that sound too sentimental?" 

"Wonderfully so." Lee smiled and ran his fingers through Richard's very short hair, dark brown with just the smallest hint of silver mixed in. There was more than seven years between them, but this was nothing new. For whatever reason, Lee had always been attracted to older men. In fact, Chris and Richard were almost of an age. 

The downpour, in the meantime, showed no sign of lessening yet, and although it was just a short run from the parking lot to their trailers, Lee preferred to think that the deluge was effectively trapping them inside their dry, warm space. "Beastly weather," he commented. 

"That's New Zealand for you." Richard smiled and laid one hand on Lee's leg, just above the knee. Lee felt its warmth through his jeans. "I suppose we'll have to find a way to pass the time until it eases up." 

"Benedict," Lee said, not missing a beat, and smiled at seeing Richard's confusion. 

"Cumberbatch?" the Englishman offered uncertainly, as if they'd gone from making out to playing name games. 

"I thought I'd start by telling you how I prefer my eggs," Lee explained with a chuckle. "Just in case you want to serve me breakfast in bed someday. You seem like that kind of guy." 

"Tosser," Richard muttered, the corners of his mouth twitching traitorously. "You enjoy teasing me, don't you?" 

"Only because you make it so easy, and because you're so damn cute when you're flustered." 

Richard blushed slightly, but this time he couldn't suppress a smile. "Lee..." 

"Yeah, Rich?" 

"Shut up and kiss me before I explode." 

***

When Lee pulled the door of his trailer shut behind him about thirty minutes later, he shook the rain out of his hair like a dog and peeled off his jacket. Deciding against a shower, he plopped down on the bed and whipped out his phone. It was 4 AM in Texas right now, but if he was lucky, Sue was working the graveyard shift. He might as well make things a bit more interesting for her. 

_Guess what, sis. I just got kissed._

It took about ten minutes, but finally the answering buzz came. 

_You're such a tease! Tell me more! Was it the smoldering Englishman?_

Lee had his response ready, grinning as he sent it. _Yes, but I don't kiss and tell._

_We'll see about that. Skype me in the morning, or else. >:( xS_

Later, lying in bed in his pajama sweats, Lee grabbed his phone again and composed a message to Richard. He knew that it was a totally non-suave thing to do, having spent half an hour swapping saliva with the man, but his heart was so full that he had to release some of his giddy energy. _I can't sleep._

Richard's response was almost instantaneous. _Neither can I. All riled up & jittery bc of snogging.  
_

Lee smiled at his phone screen for a minute before replying. _Taking it slow = going 2B harder than I thought._

A pause of several minutes, and then: _Want 2 tell me what you're wearing RN?_

Lee chuckled to himself as he typed out his reply. _Cheeky boy, Richard. Try 2 get some sleep. Can't have Thorin nodding off on the job 2morrow.  
_

_Was worth a try. Goodnight, Lee._

The phone remained silent after that, and Lee checked his alarm settings before putting it away and switching off the bedside light. For the first time in at least a week, he went to sleep smiling.


	4. Can't Stop Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another ordinary day of filming 'The Hobbit'... :)

Over the next couple of weeks, Lee found out first hand just how difficult it was to keep secrets on a movie set. Kiwi crews were no better than American ones in that they loved to gossip about anything under the sun, and the actors were not rarely the worst rumormongers of all. Graham, Mark and Adam were always on top of things, and Richard reported that the three of them were working hard at smoking him out. Lee was lucky in the sense that he worked mostly with Evie and Orlando, who were a bit more respectful of the concept of privacy. But even they had surely noticed how much his mood had improved recently.

Another challenge of dating a co-star was time. Filming a trilogy was not a nine to five job, and it proved hard for them to schedule time alone together. Unlike Lee, who was stuck in the studio filming his scenes in front of the green screen, Richard and the other dwarves were often swept away to different corners of New Zealand to film on location. During those times, they kept in touch via text messages, and over the course of time, the tone of those messages evolved. One afternoon, when Lee was in the hair trailer getting his wig applied and Richard was off filming at Strath Taieri on the South Island, Lee received a succinct message that been traded by separated lovers since time began: _I miss you_.

"You have been grinning at your phone for about two minutes now, Lee," Peter Swords King commented, interrupting the happy whirl of thoughts that reading those three words had triggered.

"My nephew's in his terrible twos. My sister has been keeping me up to date on his antics." Lee surprised himself with how easily the improvised lie rolled off his lips, and how convincing it sounded.

While Peter took away Lee's wig for some adjustments, Lee quickly typed a response. _You can't send me messages like that. I'm trying 2 do a job here.  
_

_Slipping on ears & a wig is hardly a job. Try being a dwarf for a day. The boys and I have been doing non-stop cross country since 7 AM.  
_

_Cut Thranduil some slack, Rich. He's an old man, he's earned his comforts._ Lee hesitated a moment, his fingers hovering over the keys before adding, _Can't wait 2 see you 2morrow. I got reservations at that restaurant Orlando recommended._

While sneaking around like this wasn't without its upsides - there was a certain thrill to it all that had Lee's blood pumping a little faster - he hated the fact that he had to watch his words at all times. It was particularly hard because he found himself wanting to _talk_ about Richard at every turn, about his many qualities as a human being and as an actor. They had filmed only one scene together, but the experience had left an indelible impression on Lee. Richard was one of those actors who, through hard work and dedication, was able to disappear completely into a character. To see Richard melt away and Thorin take his place was quite a spectacular thing and a privilege, really.

The few dates they had managed to go on had left no doubt in Lee's mind about the direction in which they were headed. Even though they had long since finished discussing their career choices, ambitions and fellow 'Hobbiteers', they were still finding new things to talk about, and the conversation was always easy and pleasant, even when they did not agree on things. Richard, for all his reticence and shyness, could be a brilliant conversationalist once he got going, and a few glasses of high-end Pinot Noir could turn him into a veritable flirt. More than once, Lee had been left tongue-tied by some of the things Richard had whispered to him between courses, ears flushed red with shock and arousal. One time, they had missed the beginning of the movie afterwards because they got so carried away making out in the car that they completely forgot the time. And even though they had done nothing yet that would have been rated higher than PG-13 by the MPAA, Lee knew that anticipation was rising on both ends, and it was only a matter of time before the levee broke.

And the closer they came to that point, the more Lee struggled with the secrecy and the guilty feelings that followed him into the workplace. It was starting to interfere, and while Lee was enough of a professional not to let the camera see anything other than the uncompromising, stony-faced Elvenking, he was getting tired of the distraction. He wanted to do the best job he could, while enjoying the thrill of this new relationship without guilt. He hoped he could have the latter without risk to the former, because if it came down to a choice-- well, there would be no choice, really. The job would have to take precedence.

One day, about three weeks after their first date, Richard unexpectedly came to watch Lee on set. He slipped in quietly, but Lee noticed him all the same, and he instantly felt that conflicting mix of euphoria and trepidation that he had become quite familiar with lately. Over the next half hour, Lee had to work twice as hard to keep his own thoughts and worries from bleeding into his performance and to focus on giving his director what he wanted. Pete seemed pleased with what he was getting, thankfully, but by the time he called 'cut!' Lee was drained and close to some sort of breaking point.

Richard took advantage of the lull in filming to approach him. He was not in full costume, but he was wearing Thorin's pants, wig and prosthetics, so the illusion was definitely there. "Hey," he said, smiling warmly. "What say we stay in tonight? I'm making spaghetti carbonara and I have a Chardonnay in the fridge."

"Yeah, sure," Lee said distractedly. He had noticed that the EPK crew was filming them from a distance; a shot of Thranduil and Thorin chatting between takes would make a great addition to some behind the scenes special or DVD featurette, no doubt.

Richard raised one eyebrow. "I admit I had hoped for a little more enthusiasm than that. I've been told my spaghetti is quite good, for a non-Italian."

"Sorry, Richard." Lee sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "I just... don't think I can do this anymore."

The words had a stunning effect on Richard, whose face seemed to crumple into an expression of astonishment and pain, and it was only then that Lee realized how poorly he had chosen his words. He rushed to explain, "I can't keep hiding like this anymore, is what I meant. It was sort of fun for a while, Rich, but it's growing old fast. I feel guilty and I don't want that to affect my work or to drain the joy out of our relationship."

"So... you want to tell Pete?"

"Yes, I do," Lee said emphatically. "Can you imagine how we would feel if he found out some other way? Look, I value my privacy just as much as you do. I'm not saying we should call the tabloids, but these people are our employers and colleagues as well as our friends, and right now it feels like we're deceiving them. I hate that feeling, Rich. Don't you?"

Richard nodded slowly. "Let's tell them, then," he said, and without further ado, he leaned across and kissed Lee on the mouth. It was not the kind of kiss they exchanged in the privacy of the car-- it was something chaste and sweet, a couple's kiss, but it lasted long enough to cause a hush about the room. There were at least fifty crew members present, and to their eyes, as well as that of the camera, it sure looked like Thorin had just lovingly kissed his elven arch enemy. For a few moments, though, Lee forgot about all of those bystanders and was able to relish the unique taste and feel of Richard that had come more dear to him more quickly than he could ever have imagined.

"You could have warned me you were going to do that," he murmured once Richard broke away.

"Yes, but what would have been the fun in that?" Richard countered playfully. "Sometimes one has to go for full shock value."

Almost the entire room had gone quiet now, but Peter, who had been discussing the details of the scene with Fran and Philippa, broke the silence in his own relaxed Kiwi way. "Hang on, did that... did that just happen? Fran, Phil, were you two drinking again when you wrote this scene?" He turned to the EPK crew. "You guys have that on tape, right? Tell me you have that on tape."

Richard went to Peter and calmly said, "We didn't want to say anything too soon, Pete, but Lee and I have been dating for a few weeks now. That's not a problem, is it?"

Peter made a dismissive gesture with the hand that was not nursing a steaming mug of tea. "Hey, as long as my multi-billion movies don't suffer, carry on. Happy actors don't give their director grief and that's how I like it."

"What Pete said," Fran chimed in, and Philippa completed the triumvirate's seal of approval by sending both Richard and Lee a discreet 'thumbs-up'.

"Thanks." Richard patted Peter's shoulder and that was that. He pointed at the EPK crew and joked, "Don't use that footage for the DVD, though. Lee and I are not aiming for that kiss to go viral."

There was laughter then, and Lee shook his head slightly, smiling to himself. "You're a smooth bastard," he said softly when Richard rejoined him. "That could have worked out less well than it did."

"I knew what I was doing." Richard smiled back. "So... would dinner at seven work for you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Richard and Lee take a road trip. Excited? :)


	5. Darts Of Pleasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, apparently I lied earlier, because the road trip doesn't happen in this chapter. But some other good stuff does happen, I promise. :) (Notice the updated tags)
> 
> And so the saga of 'writing RichLee and getting absolutely no work done' continues...

"I have to hand it to you, Rich." Lee leaned back and rubbed his stomach demonstratively. "That was an excellent pasta. I'm stuffed like a turkey."

"I'm pleased that you liked it," Richard said, pouring Lee and himself some more wine. "I only hope you don't mind the questionable ambiance of my messy trailer."

"It looks better than mine. And it is more private than a restaurant, which means we can be as touchy-feely as we want without having to worry about offending anyone or drawing unwanted attention."

"So far you haven't tried to get touchy-feely with me, I'm sad to say."

"Doesn't mean I won't later." Lee's phone buzzed, and he checked it quickly. "It's another message about our big reveal from this afternoon. People have been bombarding me all day."

"Yeah, me too." Richard smiled. "You'd think we were the first actors to start dating on a movie set. As if Liz Taylor and Richard Burton never happened."

Lee turned off his phone and tucked it away. "I'm glad the secret is out, though. The excitement should die down soon enough. Some new rumor will start making the rounds and we'll be old news."

"Looking forward to that." Richard looked thoughtfully at his glass, letting the wine swirl around inside it. "Don't get me wrong, I love Wellywood and all the people working on these films, but a movie set can feel a little claustrophobic at times. Privacy can be hard to come by."

"Ain't that the truth."

"So... I talked to Pete this afternoon." Richard cleared his throat, as he often did when he was nervous or insecure. "You have a break in filming coming up, right?"

"Yep. Three days, starting next Wednesday."

"Well... I asked Pete if I could be spared a few days as well. It wasn't easy, he had to pull some major strings up on high, but he managed to reschedule my scenes. So if you want, if you have no other plans, I thought we might take a little trip together. Take the ferry and tour the South Island for a bit. Would you like that?"

"Well, let me put it this way. Even if I did have plans, I would start cancelling them this very moment." Lee reached across the table to grasp Richard's forearm. "Are you serious, Rich?"

Richard smiled. "As a heart attack. Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend the time hiking the Tongariro Northern Circuit? You've been talking about doing that for a while."

"And I will, sooner or later. But between that and a road trip with you, it's a no brainer, really. God, I'm fucking excited!"

"Good." Richard looked pleased and even a little relieved, and Lee couldn't help but bend across the table and smooch the man right then. He had to pay attention not to plant his elbows in a used plate or to knock over a glass of wine, and as the kiss grew in length, he grew frustrated with the barrier between them and the uncomfortable angle.

"Where will we sleep?" he asked as he began to sidle out of his seat. "Are we hiring a camper van?"

"We can do that if you want to," Richard said, "but I have something different in mind. It... it's supposed to be a surprise. I've been making a few calls... I hope you don't think me overbearing, but--"

"You're starting to ramble, Rich, and it feels like you're working towards some sort of apology again. Turn towards me?"

Richard turned sideways in his seat, bumping his knee against the table leg as he did so. "I just don't want you to feel like you get no say."

Lee got down on his knees, pushing Richard's legs apart to create space for himself. "You have been thinking about this trip for a while, haven't you? And you won't settle for anything less than perfect."

Richard nodded, running his fingers through Lee's hair. "Because you deserve nothing less than perfect."

Lee leaned in and pressed his lips against Richard's in a brief but forceful kiss. "That's bullshit, Rich, but I do love a surprise. So plan the trip the way you want to. You get carte blanche... this time."

Richard chuckled. "Okay."

Lee kissed him again, more gently this time. When he used his tongue to request entrance to Richard's mouth, he felt Richard tensing a bit before parting his lips. When Lee squeezed Richard's thighs with his hands, moving slowly upwards, he felt Richard's knees tightening against his waist.

Lee sat back a bit, looking at Richard's face attentively and recognizing the hint of apprehension in his eyes. "Am I making you nervous, Rich?"

Richard blushed and shook his head. "Not nervous, exactly. I'm just... really intimidated by your experience. I don't want to be a disappointment."

"As if you could be." Lee paused briefly. "Are you having second thoughts about the gay thing? Please be honest."

"No! God no." Richard shook his head vehemently. "Granted, I would feel a lot less insecure if you had a pair of knockers, but it's you I want, prick and all."

Lee smiled patiently. He had heard the same line, and variations of it, from nervous first-timers many times before, but he wouldn't add to Richard's embarrassment by saying that. "Well..." he said, tracing the inner seam of Richard's jeans. "Since we're not in a restaurant, how about a blowjob to take the edge off? Surely you've had that done before."

Richard blushed more deeply. "You're not shy at all, are you?"

"Not about this." Lee began to nimbly pull Richard's belt through its loops. "Sit back and enjoy your dessert, Mr. Armitage. Compliments of the house."

Richard's eyes were trained on what Lee was doing. "Have you ever done it, though? Had sex in a public place?"

"Of course," Lee replied. "The restroom of the Staten Island ferry has seen more of me than I care to admit. Haven't you?"

"I don't think a car really counts."

"Depends on where it was parked."

"A garage." Richard paused, then added, "A private one."

Lee laughed as he zipped Richard's jeans open. "You're right, that hardly counts. But don't worry, baby, you're with me now. I'll guide you into a brave new world."

"I'm not sure if this old dog can be taught new tricks, but I won't keep you from trying."

Lee leaned up to kiss Richard's neck, tracing the big vein with his mouth. "I like a challenge," he murmured, sliding his hand into Richard's jeans and rubbing his half-hard cock through his boxers.

Richard moaned and let his head fall back a little. "I like it when you call me baby."

Lee continued to kiss and nibble Richard's neck, increasing the pressure of his hand as he moved inside the limited space of Richard's pants. "This would be easier if you weren't wearing any underwear," he said in a mildly admonishing tone.

"I'm sorry," Richard panted, "I guess I wasn't expecting this to happen tonight."

"You should always expect this to happen." Lee hooked his fingers behind the layers of fabric separating him from Richard's cock and began pulling them down. "That's the first rule of gay sex, Rich. Always be ready to have your pants taken off."

"Fuck," Richard breathed when his erection was released from its confines, straining eagerly towards Lee, who took a moment to admire his prize before raising his eyes to Richard's face.

"And this is the guy who feared he might be a disappointment," Lee teased.

Richard gave him a crooked smile. "Size isn't everything."

Lee wrapped his hand loosely around Richard's reddened cock and pumped a few times, using his thumb to rub the sensitive spot just under the head. Richard groaned, his hips twitching, and a small amount of fluid trickled over Lee's fingers. "I got condoms," Richard grunted out.

Lee looked up again, meeting Richard's eyes for a long moment. "I'll put one on you if you want, but it's much better without. Am I at risk for anything?"

Richard bit his lip. "The chances are probably slim to none. It's been almost a year for me."

Lee shifted on his knees, trying to get into the best position. The angle wasn't perfect but he could make it work. Slowly, and without taking his eyes off of Richard's, he ran his tongue along the length of his cock, from the root all the way to the slit on top. "Oh my God, Lee," Richard groaned. "There's a sight I don't get to see every day."

"Better get used to it," Lee said in a low voice, "because I surely could." He continued to use his tongue and lips to explore every inch of Richard's cock, tasting, testing, alternating with his hand and fondling the heavy balls below. Richard struggled to get comfortable in the limited space of his seat, hips bucking in a fruitless attempt to get more of Lee's mouth. Eventually he gave up, leaning back on his elbows and watching the show.

Lee took his time, knowing that he would only get to enjoy this first time once. He experimented, finding out what Richard responded to, and used that knowledge to draw out the pleasure for them both, because the reward would be all the greater for it. But eventually he too grew impatient, and he licked his lips before wrapping them around the head of Richard's cock. Richard cried out, his hips reflexively thrusting upwards, but Lee was prepared for it and held them down. He began bobbing his head up and down, shallowly at first, but gradually taking more and more of Richard inside his throat. It had been a few months for him too, so he didn't quite make it all the way down on the first try, disconnecting with a wet pop and a gasp for breath.

Richard sat up in a flash, grabbing Lee's shirt and pulling him to him. Somewhat dazed, Lee let the balance of power shift to Richard for a moment, opening his mouth to receive Richard's questing tongue. He moaned when the length and the heat of it pushed in deeply, aggressively filling the space where moments before Richard's cock had been. It felt fucking good, and Lee probably waited a bit too long before pulling free and sucking his lungs full of air. Both panting heavily, they stared at each other for several long moments while Lee's vision cleared. Eventually Richard released him and leaned back once more, taking his previous position.

Resuming his mission to make Richard see stars, Lee made sure to keep his hips pinned down as he confidently swallowed more of Richard's cock on each downstroke, opening his throat to receive it all. By the time he reached the base, Richard was in a state of near delirium.

"Oh my God. Lee," he panted, nearly going cross-eyed as he stared at the point where his cock disappeared into Lee's mouth. "You're a bloody show-off, but that's got to be the hottest thing I've ever seen."

Breathing steadily through his nose, Lee released Richard's hips and reached underneath his shirt, pushing it upwards until he could access his nipples. They stiffened quickly and Richard grunted, flexing his spine as he thrust against the back of Lee's throat. Lee's eyes watered and a muffled choking sound escaped him, but he did not stop working at Richard's nipples, knowingly seeking the threshold between pleasure and pain as he pinched them.

"Oh my _God!_ " Richard cried out, bucking uncontrollably. His hand landed on the back of Lee's head, and between giving his hair a warning tug and holding his head in place, Lee could sense the struggle he was experiencing at that moment. He hummed encouragingly and rolled Richard's already tender nipples between his fingers vigorously. With a sobbing cry, Richard thrust upwards once and came hard, holding Lee down on his cock as he convulsed again and again. He only released him once he was fully spent, and then he sagged backwards strengthlessly.

"That was amazing." Delirious with post-orgasmic bliss, he kept repeating it. "That was fucking amazing. I want to learn how to do that."

Lee pulled off, releasing Richard's softening cock with a smile. "Practice, young whippersnapper," he said sagely, resting his head on the firm pillow of Richard's thigh. "Practice is key."


	6. New Kind Of Thrill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the road trip! And another blowjob! And sheep! It's New Zealand, after all.

Lee and Richard's trip was off to a good start when the morning of departure broke clear and sunny, with the weather forecast promising little change until the weekend. Lee had gotten up at 6 AM, gone for a jog and showered in the studio's communal bathroom. Then he'd made coffee and breakfast in his trailer and packed a duffel bag with three days' worth of clothes, toiletries and condoms. Richard had not revealed much about the things he had planned, but it was beyond question that they would be having sex-- and lots of it, if Lee had anything to say about it.

Richard was waiting at the car when Lee got there around 7.15. Graham was also there, looking like a strange human-dwarf hybrid with his prosthetics but without his yak-hair beard. The Scot had come to see them off-- and to get a few digs in at his co-stars' expense.

"Are you sure Peter signed off on this?" Graham was asking Richard. "Thorin and Thranduil running off without supervision? One of you may not come back in one piece. Or, at all."

"Don't worry, Graham." Richard opened the trunk of the car so that Lee could put his bag inside it. "I promised Pete I wouldn't harm a single hair on the elf's pretty head."

"Are you offering to chaperon, Graham?" Lee asked teasingly, earning himself a middle finger. He shut the trunk and grabbed Richard to put a kiss on him. "Hey, boyfriend. Ready to hit the road?"

"You two lovebirds make me sick," Graham said in his jovially blunt way. "Sod off, and don't come back until you can behave like normal people again."

"Bye, Graham," Richard said as he slid into the passenger seat. "Keep the boys in line while I'm gone, will you? Make sure everyone's on their best behavior."

"Aye," Graham grunted, shaking his head as he trudged off in the direction of the make-up trailer.

Lee got into the driver seat, looking sideways at Richard as he strapped himself into his seat belt. "You shaved your beard off."

"Yeah." Richard ran his hand across his jaw self-consciously. "It will grow back in time for shooting. Peter will never know."

"I like it." Lee caressed Richard's chin and leaned across to let his lips explore that unfamiliar smoothness. "I didn't mind the beard, though. You look good either way."

Richard sighed and closed his eyes when Lee's mouth moved down to his neck. "Quit fooling around, Lee. We really should be going."

"Rich, the ferry doesn't leave until 8.30. What's the hurry?"

"The first cars on the boat are the first ones to be let off in Picton, so it pays off to be early. And we have somewhere to be at lunchtime."

"Oh, really? Any chance you'll tell me more about that?" Lee teased, knowing full well that Richard would sooner bite his tongue in two than reveal his super secret plans for their romantic getaway.

"No chance whatsoever."

"Bummer." Lee took Richard's chin between his fingers and turned his face towards him. "Come on, brave knight, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? I need a proper kiss, not a little peck like the one you gave me when Graham was watching."

"That's not fair." With a grin, Richard moved in to comply. "You know I can't resist you when you quote Shakespeare to me."

***

After a smooth crossing, the _Interislander_ docked in Picton at 11.43 and began spewing out a steady stream of Kiwis and tourists traveling to the South Island for business or pleasure. Lee and Richard had spent most of the journey out on deck, soaking up the sun and spotting dolphins, and Lee felt a little drunk on sea air and giddy anticipation as they left the charming seaside village behind them and took a southbound exit. Roadside signs proudly boasted the fact that they were in Marlborough, one of New Zealand's major wine regions, and sure enough, they were soon driving over roads embedded between wide, sloping vineyards where next year's harvest was ripening under the sun.

As the dashboard clock ticked past 12.30, Richard grew noticeably fidgety, bending over every couple of minutes to take the road map from the glove compartment and check it. When it happened for the fourth time, Lee couldn't help but say teasingly, "Are we still on schedule for our wine tour, Rich?"

Richard gave him a startled look, but relaxed swiftly and said, "You think you're pretty clever, don't you?"

Lee grinned. "Yep."

"You think you have me all figured out?"

"Baby, I know I do. I've dated your type before."

"Baby," Richard echoed, imitating Lee's Texan drawl on purpose, "don't you have another thing coming. Pull over."

"What?"

"You heard me." Richard pointed ahead. "Take that exit right there and stop the car."

Lee shrugged and eased off on the gas, switching the blinker on as he turned left, onto a narrow road between two fields that appeared to lead to a nearby farm or winery. He stopped the car by the side of the road. With an amused smile, he turned to Richard. "Right, now what?"

Before Lee knew what was happening, Richard had unbuckled his seat belt and was pressing close to him, kissing him hard, aggressively almost. A strong, confident hand landed on his crotch, squeezing him right through his jeans. Lee was so surprised that he moved his foot off of the clutch, which caused the car to buck and the engine to die. He moaned into Richard's mouth, scrabbling at his shoulders as the hand on his crotch moved in tight little circles, causing his cock to grow hard at a rapid pace.

"Richard," he gasped when he managed to free his mouth for a moment. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Proving to you that I'm not as predictable as you think, hopefully." Richard tried to pry Lee's zipper open, which proved hard due to the awkward angle. "Just pray we're not arrested for indecent exposure and spend our vacation in a New Zealand cell."

"Richard, that's crazy, you don't have to prove anything- ah!" Lee arched upwards as Richard finally managed to open his jeans and pulled his cock out.

"No underwear." Richard clucked approvingly. "Good boy."

"Practise what you preach." Lee bit his lip as he stared, transfixed, at Richard's hand moving on his cock. A small whine escaped him when Richard unexpectedly let go, but it was only to add some spit to the proceedings. Lee sucked in a breath through his teeth and braced himself against the car door as that skilled hand moved more smoothly, already coaxing the first drops of precome out. "Oh Jesus, Richard. This is going to be messy."

"No, it's not," Richard responded in a low, gravelly voice, and he shifted in his seat to create space before bending his 6'2" frame in an unnatural angle and bringing his face level with Lee's cock. Lee already felt his breath on him when he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled Richard's head up. "You should use a condom," he panted.

"It's much better without," Richard said. "You told me so yourself."

"But this is different. My last time with Chris was--"

"I don't want to use a condom," Richard declared as he slipped out of Lee's grasp. "I want to know what you smell like, Lee. What you taste like..." To illustrate, he brushed the tip of Lee's cock with his lips, experimentally licking at the slit. Lee gave a shuddering moan and let his head fall back against the cool window. "You're not being sensible, Rich."

But Richard was not to be persuaded. Lee felt his shy tongue growing bolder, mapping every inch of his cock with a thoroughness that was characteristic to Richard, and every drop of precome was caught and sampled and swallowed. Lee knew that he should be checking the mirrors, keeping an eye out, but his eyes were as if glued to the beautiful sight of Richard's dark head bobbing sensually between his legs, his red, wet tongue moving over his cock. Lee braced his hands and feet where he could, one hand back on Richard's head, not to stop him this time but to encourage. "You're insane for doing this, Rich. You'll screw up your neck at this angle."

"Definitely worth it," Richard said in a low growl that reverberated through Lee's cock and straight into his balls. His flesh twitched and wept and valiantly tried to harden even more, and with a moan of anticipation, Richard angled the shaft to his mouth and engulfed the head in one go. Lee cried out, his fingers tightening in Richard's hair as he felt Richard's wet heat closing around him. There was a brief scrape of teeth, mark of the inexperienced, but that was quickly forgiven when Richard began to tentatively work his mouth and hand simultaneously, making sure to cover Lee's entire length.

"Oh fuck!" Lee's leg was cramping, but the discomfort was washed out completely by the sheer joy of being sucked and jerked off by a gorgeous man, his first blowjob in months, God, why had he not missed it more? He bumped his elbow against the steering wheel, almost hitting the claxon, as he tried to get a better view of things.

Richard popped off, glassy eyes meeting Lee's. A thin string of saliva and precome formed between his mouth and Lee's cock, a fragile connection that was there one moment and gone the next. "Talk to me, Lee," he said hoarsely. "Is this okay? Tell me what you want me to do."

"You're doing pretty damn great already," Lee haltingly replied, struggling to catch his breath. "Just take me as deep as feels comfortable, and hollow your cheeks. I love a tight fit as much as the next man."

Richard grinned and descended again, licking away the pearly fluid that had gathered at the slit while they spoke and pushing the tip of his tongue inside until Lee thrashed in his seat. Then he took Lee back into his mouth, testing his own comfort levels as he inched gradually further down, humming and moaning and slurping dirtily as he welcomed more and more of Lee inside. Conscious of Richard's inexperience, Lee somehow managed to keep himself from fucking hard into that hot, wet tunnel, but God, it was a struggle.

Once Richard had reached his limit, he kept his head still for a moment, moaning softly around Lee's throbbing flesh and squeezing his fingers around the base so that part wouldn't feel left out. Lee ran trembling fingers through Richard's hair, whispering, "God, Richard, you look gorgeous like this, with your mouth stretched around my cock. I knew you would, but it looks and feels even better than I imagined. I'm taking a mental picture of you right now, just so you know."

Richard moaned again, low in this throat, and although it was anatomically impossible for him to look at Lee's face and suck his cock at the same time, he angled himself in such a way that Lee could see everything-- every inch disappearing inside when Richard moved down, and reappearing when he moved up, almost letting the head pop free. Every time this happened, Lee came a little closer to spending, but he tried to hold on as long as he could, cradling Richard's head in his hands and following his movements until he realized that the tables had turned and that Richard was in fact letting himself be guided in a rhythm that Lee dictated. Richard's surrender electrified Lee's nerve endings like nothing else could have done, and he began pulling him down on himself a little faster. He was afraid to get too rough, but Richard's mouth and throat remained pliant and accommodating throughout, and eventually the sight and feel and slick sounds of Richard swallowing his cock with ease caused Lee's brain to short-circuit. He had no breath left to warn Richard of what was coming, and he saw and felt himself throbbing when he came, and he saw and felt Richard swallowing and drinking it all down. Lee touched his throat to feel his Adam's apple bobbing as his seed went down.

"Oh God, Rich." It came out as a dry croak, and although he wanted to say more, no words would come for a good long while. "I will never call you predictable again, I swear."

Richard let Lee's cock slip from his mouth and smiled up at him smugly. "I should hope so."

Lee let out a shaky breath and looked around, paying attention to his surroundings for the first time since Richard pounced him. The road was blessedly empty.

"All clear?" Richard asked, sitting up and wiping his mouth. "I guess it's relatively easy to have public sex in a country with only 4 million people."

"Yes, but don't forget that New Zealand has 60 million sheep as well." Laughing, Lee pointed at half a dozen curious woollies crowding at the fence behind Richard. "And we might have just scarred that lot right there for life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, I'm enjoying writing this story a bit too much. You should all prepare yourselves, because I'm not done putting these two in smutty situations.
> 
> I know it's not chic to beg for comments, but... I do love 'em!


	7. Wine In The Afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm spitting out these chapters at breakneck speed! (Which, for those of you who don't know, is not my usual MO.) I don't know what to do with myself, other than enjoy it.

Just as Lee had guessed, Richard's lunchtime plans did in fact include a private tour at one of the region's wine estates, which ended with the farmer driving them around the vineyards in a golf cart as he jovially explained about the grapes and the harvesting methods, and eventually dropping them off on top of a picturesque hill where a lone picnic table had been decked for two. He handed them a picnic basket from the back of the cart, wished them _kia mākona_ and drove off with the promise to come pick them up in two hours. 

From the basket came all sorts of delicious goodies, including fresh cucumber and salmon sandwiches, mince pies, strawberries and other summer fruits, and of course several small bottles of wine to try. Lee and Richard settled on the Pinot Gris and spent a perfectly sublime two hours wining and dining on their own private hilltop under the summer sky, bantering and enjoying the view and each other's company. 

Back at the main house, Richard purchased several boxes of Pinot and Chardonnay while Lee signed the guest book and discreetly placed a generous tip inside it. The farmer introduced them to his wife, a kindly rotund woman who told them the story of how her sister had ended up playing a hobbit extra and asked for a picture, "for the grandkids". They were happy to grant it, and around 4 PM they drove off with a trunk full of wine, including a complimentary box that was to be delivered into Peter Jackson's hands. The wine and the sun had affected Lee more than Richard, so they switched places for this leg of the journey, and Lee felt his bones grow heavy with sleepiness as they zoomed down the spectacular coastal road to Kaikoura. 

He did not realize that he had actually nodded off until Richard gently shook him awake, announcing that they were almost in Kaikoura. "I thought you might want to see the seals," he said, pointing out the large colonies scattered across the seaside rocks. 

"Oh my God." Lee sat up quickly. "Can we stop the car somewhere? I promised my sister I would take pictures of these, for my niece." 

Richard dutifully pulled over at the first lookout point they saw and they got out of the car to marvel at the dozens and dozens of seals lazing about in the late afternoon sun. Lee snapped a few pictures, and Richard asked, "How old is your niece?" 

"Five," Lee said, "and she is really into Sea World and all that stuff. I'm going to send these off as soon as I find a WiFi spot." 

"You're a great uncle," Richard said with a smile, and he surprised Lee with a kiss. It was brief and sweet and even Richard seemed taken aback by how unthinkingly he had given it. 

"You know what? This calls for a selfie. We gotta document." Lee put his arm around Richard's shoulder and held his phone up so that he and Richard and the seals were all in the frame. As he was about to take the shot, Lee had a realization that gave him pause; something about those two grinning faces on the screen, pressed close together to fit into the frame, told him that he and Richard were not just dating anymore. Granted, it had been going on for only a month - some milk cartons had been in his life longer than that - but short holidays and sightseeing and selfies, that was the stuff of relationships. It was a thrilling thought that translated on Lee's face into an even broader smile. He moved his thumb, the click of the shutter confirming that their first couple photo was now a fact. 

"Finally," Richard said. "My beard grows faster than that." 

"Sorry." Lee grinned. "I just had an epiphany of sorts when I took that picture." 

"Oh really? What about?" 

"Never mind." Lee kissed Richard's cheek, which by now had traded its freshly-shaved smoothness for a dark stubble, and smiled over his shoulder as he made back for the car. "Right... where to next?" 

*** 

Lee could not believe his eyes when he saw the cabin for the first time, and he swore there and then never to tease Richard about his perfectionist tendencies again. Better yet, he would happily let Richard plan all their outings from now on, no questions asked. 

They had made a brief stop in Kaikoura, only to shop for groceries at the supermarket and grab a few leaflets and folders at the tourist office minutes before it closed. Then they had continued to drive south along the coast for twenty minutes before going inland and leaving the ocean at their backs. They were once again in idyllic, desolate country, and Lee had done nothing but stare at the ever-changing vistas as they wound their way over meandering, hilly roads where only the occasional dead possum testified to passing traffic. Eventually they came to an open gate with a sign, warning them that they were now entering private property. Another ten minutes of driving over a track of soft turf and pine needles brought them to their apparent destination: a large cabin beautifully situated high on the eastern slope of the hill, with large windows on all sides and a stunning view at the countryside down below, with the distantly twinkling lights of Kaikoura and the ocean beyond. 

"Well, this is us," Richard casually announced as he parked the car. "The owners should have left the keys under the mat." 

"Oh my God." Lee, who had seen his fair share of luxury hotels and Beverly Hills properties, stared at the cabin as though it was something out of a dream. "All of this is for us?" 

"For the next three days, at least." Richard gave Lee a tentative little smile. "I hope you don't mind remote." 

Lee answered by spontaneously planting a kiss on Richard and threw his door open. "Come on, let's go explore!" 

Inside the cabin was even more jaw-dropping. Everything was practical and simple but in tip-top condition, and Lee went from room to room exclaiming _oh my God_ and _that's awesome_ and _come look at this_ while Richard trailed behind, smiling and letting Lee have his 'American moment'. When they came to the main bedroom, Lee immediately plopped down on the king-sized bed. "Call a side, Richard." 

Richard crossed his arms and leaned against the door post. "I tend to sleep on the right." 

"Okay." Lee tested the mattress by bouncing up and down a few times. "Soft but not too springy. Perfect for our needs." He gave Richard a sly smile and stretched out his arms. "How about we take this bed for a test drive right now?" 

Richard came over and let Lee's arms encircle his waist, running his hands through his hair as he tilted his head back. "Food before fucking," he said. "We have a trunk full of fresh veggies and I don't plan on letting them go to waste. Besides, I'm starving and I bet you are too." 

"Not even a quickie?" Only half teasing, Lee lowered his hands to grab Richard's ass and give it a squeeze. 

Richard leaned down to kiss Lee on the lips. "Lee, I have a long evening planned of foreplay, getting slowly drunk and making love as often and in as many ways as we can manage it. None of that involves a quickie or anything of the sort. It's our first night together and I want to take my time for it." 

Lee whimpered, a little out of disappointment but mostly because Richard's words painted quite the picture. "I suppose I am on board with that." 

"Good." Richard pulled Lee up from the bed. "Now come, there is more to see." 

In the kitchen they discovered a bottle of champagne that the owners had left for them as a welcome gift, along with some sightseeing tips and a friendly handwritten note, in which Tom and Julie Van der Meer encouraged them to 'make themselves at home' and to call in case they had any questions. 

"If I had a cabin like this," Lee commented, "I wouldn't rent it out. I would live here full-time with a bunch of rescue dogs, grow a beard and never ever leave. I would be the crazy hermit guy that all the neighborhood kids make up stories about." 

Richard smiled. "What would you do for groceries?" 

"Have them delivered, I guess. Or get a goat and some chickens." 

The final and best discovery of all was the outside terrace. Facing eastward, it offered a picture perfect view at the Kaikoura Peninsula and the ocean. There was also a table set for al fresco dining, a fire pit and - eliciting another _oh my God_ from Lee - a jacuzzi. 

Once Lee had snapped a few pictures of the incredible view, he turned around to find Richard looking at him, with a half smile that caused Lee's belly to flutter a little bit. 

"This is amazing, Rich." He knew that Richard was a quiet man, not prone to gushing, but he wanted to include him in his moment of wonder and joy. "Have you seen the gorgeous scenery?" 

"I am looking at it right now," Richard said, not taking his eyes off Lee. Coming from someone else, it might have sounded like a cheesy pickup line, but not from Richard, and Lee flushed accordingly. He put away his phone and walked over to Richard to fold his arms around him. 

"Confession time, Richard," he murmured as he let his lips ghost across Richard's forehead. Without the summer sun, the temperature was starting to drop, but Richard's warmth felt wonderful against his front. "How did you find this place? Do you bring all your flavors of the month here?" 

"I found it through a very useful tool called the internet," Richard replied, letting his eyes be kissed closed by Lee. "I put out a Google search for a private cabin with ocean view and a sturdy bed for fucking my hot new boyfriend, and this is what came up. As for the other question, I'm not dignifying that with a response." 

Lee grinned. Teasing Richard was just too easy sometimes, so easy in fact that he would have to make sure not to overdo it. "You've done well, Richard," he said, softly kissing him. "I've had a lovely day so far, and I'm looking forward to the rest of it." 

"Good." Richard kissed him back and then regretfully stepped away. "Then let's unpack and whip up the world's fastest meal, for starters."


	8. Better On Holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is chapter 8 already! I thought this story would have 3 or 4 at most. :)

"For God's sake, Lee, can you please stop groping me for five minutes? I'm trying to prepare a halfway decent meal here and you're making it very difficult." 

Lee smiled against Richard's neck before pressing a kiss just below the hairline. His hands on Richard's hips slid slowly to the front. "I can't help it," he murmured. "You are a very sexy man, and this is a very sexy house, and we have less than three days to explore all the different ways to have sex in it." With a slow grind of his hips, he pressed himself against Richard's ass, earning a low grunt in response. He'd pretty much had a constant hard-on for the past thirty minutes, and the front of Richard's jeans also seemed a little tighter than usual. "God, Richard, this is torture for me. Let's just go hungry and have sex instead." 

"For the last time, no." Richard laughed and pretended to whack Lee with a spatula. "I need sustenance if I want to be able to keep up with you later. Besides, I'm grumpy on an empty stomach, and no one wants to have sex with a grumpy old man." 

"Baby, I knew what I was in for when I said yes to dating Thorin fucking Oakenshield." Lee spun Richard around by his shoulders and pushed him backwards against the kitchen counter, their fronts pressed flush together. 

"Thranduil isn't exactly a ray of sunshine either," Richard countered as he twined his fingers into Lee's hair, and anything he might have said after that was lost in the frenzy of kissing, deep and wet and noisy and without any regard for Richard's chicken curry, abandoned on the stove. As their tongues tangled and explored, Lee felt his cock throb enviously in his pants, remembering every wicked thing Richard's tongue had done earlier that day. 

"Oh God, Richard," he groaned as they rutted against each other like animals in season. "I can't stop thinking about your mouth on my cock. That was seriously the most amazing blowjob I've ever had." 

Richard snorted, his lip curling slightly as he leaned in and delivered a sharp bite to Lee's lower lip. "Liar." 

"You don't believe me?" Lee drew back slightly, taking Richard's face between his hands. "Rich, don't tell me you're still insecure about the sex, because after what you did in the car today, you have absolutely no right to be." 

Richard's ears flushed slightly. "I guess I've been on the receiving end often enough to not be completely clueless. But I like to be stellar at everything I do. That's just who I am." 

Lee smiled. "I'll be happy to let you have another go right now if you want to practise some more." 

"Nice try." Richard laughed and pushed Lee away. "Until I've had something to eat, our pants are staying on. Now shoo, stop bothering me and make yourself useful for a change. Go chop something, make a fire or set the table while I try and save this chicken curry." 

Lee pouted; in the past this had proven to be one of his strongest weapons, but Richard so far seemed quite immune, which meant that he would have to try and develop new tactics-- a challenge Lee knew he was going to enjoy thoroughly. "I guess I'll open a bottle of wine and find us some glasses. If I'm not getting laid anytime soon, I might as well get started on getting drunk instead." 

"Now there's a good lad." Reaching out, Richard smacked Lee playfully on the ass before turning back to his pots and pans. "Off you get, chop chop." 

*** 

Twenty minutes later, seated by the fire with a steaming plate on his knees and a glass of wine in his hand, Lee had to admit that Richard's mantra of _dinner first_ had not been such a bad thing after all. The delicious smell had his stomach growling, and his mouth watered at the thought of digging in. "It looks great, Rich. Your mom's recipe?" 

"Ummm, no, Nigella Lawson." Richard stretched his feet towards the warmth of the fire and held out his glass for Lee to clink. "Mauri ora, Lee." 

Lee laughed. "To Nigella." 

They made quick work of the first servings and helped themselves to seconds. Not much was said between them during that meal, which was just fine by Lee. He felt incredibly blessed, sitting here at what felt like the center of the universe, under a star-speckled sky with nature all around and a crackling fire to stare into. The wine went down easily, causing a languid, warm heaviness to settle in his limbs. He would have to take it easy if he didn't want to go out like a light before they'd had a chance to actually do something. Nonetheless, he didn't protest when Richard filled his nearly empty glass without being asked. 

When they had both finished, neither moved for a good long while, except to take a sip of wine or to put new logs on the fire. At some point, Richard reached across to grab Lee's hand, and Lee found that in the dozy afterglow of a well-enjoyed dinner, the simple act of hand-holding was enough to be perfectly content. Even on Peter Jackson's set, acting was a stressful and tiring job, dictated by time tables and schedules designed to pacify nervous studio execs who constantly needed to be reassured that their money was being spent as efficiently as possible. But here, with Richard beside him, any pressure Lee may have felt back in Wellington just melted away. 

Eventually it was Richard who moved first, lifting Lee's fingers to his mouth to kiss them one by one. "You're not falling asleep on me like you did in the car today, are you? Because if you're that much of a lightweight, I'm going to have to ease up on the wine." 

Lee turned his head sideways to watch Richard slip one of his fingers into his mouth, up to the second knuckle. "I'm relaxed and a bit dozy, that's all. And I'm not a lightweight," he added, vaguely offended. 

Richard chuckled. "If you say so." He turned Lee's hand and kissed the thin skin of his inner wrist. "What say we try that jacuzzi and crack open that bottle of champagne, then?" 

Lee hummed quietly, transfixed by the sight of Richard's lips moving over his skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. "I thought we might save the jacuzzi until tomorrow, when the sun is out." 

"The water will be warm." Richard raised his eyes to meet Lee's, something hot burning just behind the black of his pupils, and Lee's mouth went a little dry as he nodded. 

Preparations were swiftly made. While Lee removed the cover from the tub and fiddled with the knobs to get the jets going, Richard fetched the champagne and towels from inside. As the tub filled with hot, steaming water, Lee made to pull his sweater up over his head but was stopped by Richard. " _I_ want the pleasure of undressing you," he explained, and Lee let his arms fall back alongside his body, closing his eyes when Richard leaned in close to kiss his neck. He loved having his neck kissed and licked and nibbled on, and Richard did all of those things and more, slowly moving toward Lee's ear and biting that as well. 

"Richard," Lee breathed, trembling slightly in anticipation when he felt Richard's hands working on his belt, the buckle giving a metallic _clink_ as it was pushed to the side. Richard's nimble fingers made quick work of the button and zipper, and a moment later Lee felt the cool air on his ass as his jeans were pushed down just past the cheeks. Richard leaned away briefly to spit into his hand before grabbing Lee's cock. The moan Lee gave in response was swallowed into Richard's mouth, and he steadied himself on Richard's shoulders as the Englishman began to slowly but firmly pump his length, rubbing the slit with his thumb until Lee's knees almost gave out. "Oh, Jesus, Richard," he gasped, looking down to see himself throb and twitch in Richard's hand. 

"Yes, keep watching," Richard said, a ragged edge to his voice. "You're gorgeous, Lee. You're so bloody beautiful that my heart will burst." He increased his speed, sliding his free arm around the small of Lee's back for leverage and using his precome to pump his cock even more smoothly. Lee was moving his hips to meet Richard's movements, fucking Richard's tight fist, and the slick-slippery sounds they were making together had Lee biting his lip to keep from crying out. 

"Do you want to come like this?" Richard's question was little more than a growl. "Or in my mouth?" 

"Mouth," Lee rasped, and Richard was on his knees in an instant. From one of the pockets of his blazer came a bottle of lube, and he squeezed a gob onto his fingers while Lee dazedly wondered how long Richard had been carrying that bottle around for. But then all lucid thought was driven out of his mind as Richard swallowed his cock, this time from a position where he could make eye contact as he took Lee as deeply as he could. The stark contrast between the cool air and the moist heat of Richard's mouth was incredible, and Lee could not help but thrust in a little, hissing sharply when Richard's throat constricted spasmodically around his cock. "Sorry, are you okay?" 

Richard moaned wantonly and grabbed one of Lee's butt cheeks with his lubricated hand, the fingers pressing close to his opening. He raised his eyes again, and Lee saw the unspoken question in them. "Do it," he breathed, bracing his hands on Richard's shoulders as Richard now grabbed his ass with both hands, spreading him and slowly, tentatively pressing in with one slippery finger. The first breach was never comfortable, but Lee knew that the reward would be swift and well worth it. "More," he demanded, gritting his teeth as Richard pushed in to the last knuckle and began to swivel around. As he struggled for breath, Lee wondered if he should point Richard towards his prostate, but Richard didn't seem to need the instruction. He crooked his finger and once he found the right spot, he rubbed it until Lee was shouting curses that could make a sailor blush. 

Richard came off Lee's cock to catch his breath, smirking up at him. "You have a filthy mouth, Lee." 

"Because you're fucking amazing," Lee panted. "How did you know--?" 

"I may be inexperienced, Lee, but I'm not completely ignorant. I've googled my fair share of gay porn." Richard grabbed Lee's cock and angled it towards his mouth. "I want you to fuck my mouth, Lee, and I want you to do it hard and fast. If I catch you holding back on me, you're sleeping on the couch tonight." 

"Fuck," Lee muttered, knees buckling a bit as he watched himself sink inside. At the same time, Richard pushed a second finger in, twisting sharply for optimal effect. Lee couldn't have been gentle then if he'd wanted to; caught between the pressure of Richard's well-placed fingers and the sucking, unrelenting heat of his mouth, he did exactly what Richard had asked and chased his climax with hurried, forceful thrusts, holding Richard's head in place as he sheathed himself to the hilt and came with a shudder and a loud, drawn-out _oh fuck yes!  
_

When the worst of it had subsided, Richard carefully withdrew his fingers and grabbed Lee's hips as he diligently licked away the last of his come. Then he got up and kissed Lee, swallowing his panting breaths as he had swallowed his come, and letting him share in the taste. Lee moaned helplessly and clutched at the back of Richard's head, trying to draw him in even closer. He reached for Richard's crotch, only to have his hand slapped away. 

"Rich, you've given me two amazing blowjobs in one day," he protested. "You're going to have to let me return the favor at some point." 

"Don't worry, Lee." Richard smiled and leaned away briefly to test the water in the jacuzzi before letting his blazer slide from his shoulders. "I will make sure I get my turn before this night is over."


	9. Feeling Kind Of Anxious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to have some bedroom gymnastics in it, but then Richard and Lee started talking and it turned into something else. Enjoy!

"I wonder what the guys back in Wellington did today," Lee said as he took a tiny sip from his glass of bubbly champagne. He wasn't a huge fan of the fancy drink, but if there ever was a perfect setting for it, this was definitely it.

"That's funny, I hadn't even thought of them until now." Richard, who sat across from him with his arms resting comfortably on the edge of the jacuzzi, smiled lazily. "We can only hope that Pete had them buried in fish or sent them down an icy cold river in barrels. He's good at torturing his actors like that."

"I can't wait to get my hands on that footage," Lee said with a chuckle. "I wish I could have visited the set that day, though, just for the pleasure of watching some dwarves suffer."

"I don't blame you. It was jolly good fun even from my perspective." Richard arched an eyebrow when Lee's face scrunched up into a smile. "What's that smirk for?"

"Nothing, Rich." Lee quickly leaned over just for the purpose of kissing away the furrow of Richard's scowl. "But some of the things that come out of your mouth... Sometimes I feel like Julia Roberts dating a more rugged version of Hugh Grant in a 90's romcom."

"Don't tell me you saw Notting Hill."

"Rich, there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who admit they saw Notting Hill and those who are lying about it." Lee tipped the last of the champagne down his throat and put away his glass. "Besides, I was a sexually confused teen, and my sister took advantage by making me watch a lot of chick flicks with her."

"You were ever sexually confused?" Richard seemed genuinely surprised. "Really?"

"Sure. You didn't think I came into the world as a fully fledged gay man, did you?" Lee smiled. "I fumbled my way through a fair amount of awkward dates before finding my niche."

"Did you ever try it? Sex with a woman?"

Lee nodded. "A couple of times. Often enough to know that it wasn't for me. When I was seventeen, I had a fling with a guy from my competitive swimming team. That was my eye-opener, so to speak."

"How did your parents react?"

"Pretty well overall. My dad was the only one who didn't see it coming, really. My mom and sister insist they already knew. And my dad has come around since. He really liked Chris anyway." Unexpectedly, Lee felt a little pang as his ex's name rolled off his lips, and although he tried to force it down, Richard noticed.

"Do you miss him?"

Lee considered lying, but he couldn't, not to Richard. "A little, I guess. Not all the time, but... When someone is in your life for more than three years, you don't expect them to ever _not_ be there, you know what I mean? It's strange to think that he won't be there to pick me up from the airport and that I'll be coming home to an empty house." Lee groaned, suddenly having a thought. "God, what will I do for Christmas?"

Richard reached across, feeling his way through the water until he found Lee's hand and grabbing it. It was a simple but comforting gesture. "Do you think I moved too fast, Lee? Should I have waited longer before asking you out? I can't help but think that sometimes."

"No, Rich, I'm glad you acted when you did." Lee squeezed Richard's hand. "Life is short, right? And our time in New Zealand is even shorter. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the past few weeks, and this moment right here for the world." Richard's brows relaxed with relief, and Lee moved across to straddle his thighs, skin against skin. "Anyway, now you know about my sexual exploits as a teenager, tell me some of yours."

Richard shrugged and slipped his arms around Lee's waist. "Not much to tell. I was an old virgin, nineteen when I went all the way with a girl for the first time."

Lee shook his head, grabbing Richard's chin to give him a long, measuring look. "How does a boy who looks like you not get lucky before nineteen? Tell me that."

"Shy, that's how." Richard gave him a crooked smile. "I'm a late bloomer, Lee, in every aspect of my life. Besides, I wasn't much to look at in secondary school. I'm still not, come to think of it, although I managed to shed the pimples, thank God."

"What the everlasting fuck?" Lee sat back a little, frowning at the man in front of him. "Are you actually serious right now? You're gorgeous! If I had a penny every time I heard the make-up girls gushing about you, I'd be Donald fucking Trump by now. And speaking just for myself, I could look at you all the livelong day without getting bored. So what the hell is this nonsense coming from your mouth?"

Richard blushed, biting his lip before offering, "I have a weird forehead."

"Huh?"

"Those lines on my forehead? They're all I can look at when I see myself in the mirror."

Lee looked into Richard's eyes for a moment. He wanted to get stern with him, to call him a crazy person, but he could see that Richard's insecurities were very real and that the man was truly laying himself bare here. "My nose is crooked."

"What?"

"I broke my nose when I was thirteen and now it points to the right."

Richard frowned as he scanned Lee's face. "It's barely noticeable, and you got cast as an elf all the same. Nobody cares about a slightly askew nose, Lee, especially when it sits in a face like yours."

"Well, guess what." Lee took Richard's head between his hands and kissed him right between his brows. "Nobody cares about your forehead either, me least of all. You're a looker, and I'm okay with everyone noticing that, as long as I'm the one sleeping with you."

"Possessive, are we?" Richard teased.

"It's a character flaw of mine." Still holding Richard's face between his hands, Lee began exploring him with his lips, sliding down the straight slope of his nose and departing with a tiny bite to the tip. With a smirk, he nuzzled Richard's cheek, testing the raspy stubble with the tip of his tongue. Richard's beard was shot with grey as well, a realization that thrilled Lee to the core. "You know you'll never have to worry I'll dump you for a younger prospect, right?"

"No? You like your men a bit stale and saggy?"

Lee nipped Richard's earlobe by way of punishment, and Richard shook a bit as he laughed. "Sorry, Lee. I just can't help but feel self-conscious about the fact that I'm forty years old and about to have my gay cherry popped by a younger veteran."

"I would have been happy to do the popping ten years ago," Lee said, "but we didn't know each other then, did we?" He moved his lips across Richard's cheek, towards his mouth. "Which brings me to an important question."

"What's that?" Eyes closed, Richard moved his head to meet Lee's mouth, trying for a kiss, but was denied when Lee grabbed his chin again and held him still. At the same time, his other hand dipped beneath the water to find Richard almost fully hard, filling his hand hot and eager.

"Top or bottom?" Lee smiled at Richard's blush. He had been more than happy to leave the initiative to Richard earlier, but it felt good to be the one in charge for a while. He enjoyed the back-and-forth between them, and he really couldn't say what Richard's answer would be, which was exciting. "Either is fine by me, Rich. You're the first-timer, so pick your flavor."

"Top." Richard licked his lips nervously. "To begin with, at least. To ease into things. Later, I want to find out what that beautiful cock feels like inside me."

Lee's breath hitched a little bit, and he grabbed a handful of Richard's hair to pull his head back, baring his throat. He was thrilled with Richard's answer, and he leaned down to playfully sink his teeth into that pale expanse of skin, feeling the vibration of Richard's responding groan. Below the water, his hand squeezed around Richard's erection and gave it a slow pull. "God, Richard, can we please go inside now? The stars and the champagne and the jacuzzi are lovely, but all I can think about right now is you showing me all the corners of that glorious bed."

With a gasp, Richard arched up slightly, pressing himself into Lee's hand. "God, Lee. I want to, so badly. But let me just confess... I'm bloody nervous."

Lee relaxed his grip on Richard's hair and sat up, looking at Richard's open, panting mouth, his wide eyes. Gone was the confident man who had whisked him off to this perfect love nest, who had given him that incredible blowjob earlier, but Lee was sure that given time, he would return. He also sensed that it wasn't just the mechanical aspect of what lay ahead that was causing Richard's apprehension. Richard was an old-fashioned romantic and quite a spiritual man, and like Lee, he thought of sex as the physical manifestation of something much more grand.

"It's okay, baby," he said softly, stroking Richard's thick, dark hair and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "I've got you. Let's just grab those towels and make a run for it before our balls freeze off, okay?"

Richard chuckled at that, the tension broken. "Yeah," he said warmly, kissing Lee back. "Let's do that."


	10. A Fire That Burns

"I don't know if you've noticed, Rich, but this is one kinky bedroom."

Richard gave Lee a questioning look across the bed. They were standing at opposite sides of it, stark naked and toweling themselves down. "How so?"

"All those huge-ass windows everywhere." Lee flung out an arm, indicating the floor-to-ceiling glass panels that made up a good portion of three out of four walls. "I didn't realize it before, but now that the lights are on, I feel like we're about to have sex in a fish bowl."

"Don't forget that one." Richard pointed to the ceiling, where another window was located in the roof right above the bed. "That's why they call cabins like this stargazers. But we can draw the blinds if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, I admit to being a bit of an exhibitionist." Lee grinned. "Besides, it's not as if anyone will actually be walking by and see us." He discarded the towel and started rummaging through his bag, pulling out various items and tossing them on the bed: a strip of condoms, several bottles of lube (edible and non-edible), massage oil (you never knew) and a box of tissues.

"You've got quite the collection," Richard observed in a dry tone. "I wouldn't have thought of the tissues myself."

"They are a necessity, let me tell you." Lee arranged all the items on his nightstand, smirking as he surveyed his handiwork. "Look, it's like a still life. Not one you'll be seeing at the Metropolitan anytime soon, but a piece of art in its own right."

Richard shook his head. "You're a funny man, Mr. Pace."

"And you, Mr. Armitage, will rub your skin off if you're not careful." Lee moved across the bed on his knees, to Richard, who was dawdling with the towel. Lee took it from his hands and tossed it aside, not minding where it fell. His eyes were on Richard's, and he felt the edge of the mattress dip under his knees as he aligned his body with Richard's, chest to chest and belly to belly. "Put your hands on me, Rich," he murmured, joining their foreheads together and running his fingers through the softness of his hair.

Closing his eyes, Richard exhaled audibly as he placed his hands on Lee's waist and, after a moment's hesitation, dragged them upwards, fingers mapping the defined lines of muscle. Those first shy, exploratory touches coaxed a sigh from Lee, and he angled his head slightly, keeping his fingers in Richard's hair as he brushed their lips together, soft, undemanding, unhurried. It was a stark contrast to the hot, eager press and throb of their not-so-patient cocks, but Lee reminded himself that they had all night, and two nights after that, to enjoy each other, and so he would take his time for this kiss, and for everything that would follow after it.

Richard's hands traveled the length of Lee's back, settling briefly on his hips before sliding around to cup his ass, fingers splayed wide. Suddenly Richard's tongue was knocking on the door of Lee's mouth, and Lee answered, giving a muffled moan as their tongues met. Richard's hands on his ass pulled him closer, fingers squeezing and digging into flesh. Richard made an appreciative sound low in his throat and kissed Lee more insistently, their frantic breaths and the wet sounds of kissing filling the otherwise quiet room.

Lee eventually pulled back a bit, studying Richard's flushed face before pressing a biting kiss to his shoulder. He started a slow descent from there, lowering himself as he licked the pronounced ridge of Richard's clavicle and worked his way down to one of his nipples. He flicked it once with the tip of his tongue and blew cool air over it, hearing Richard hiss above him. He licked again, circling and rubbing the little peak until it stood out wet and hard from Richard's skin. Then he moved across to do the same for its twin.

"Oh my God," Richard breathed. One of his hands came to rest on Lee's head, fingers sinking slightly into his hair, while the other palmed Lee's shoulder. "You have so many freckles. A little ginger running in the family?"

"On mother's side." Lee went lower, noticing goose flesh as he crossed Richard's abdomen. "Cold?"

Richard hummed when Lee's tongue dipped briefly into his navel before following the southbound trail of coarse hair. "Just enjoying myself."

"I can see that." Lee settled into a more comfortable position, leaning on one elbow so that his face was level with Richard's crotch. "You are one fine man, Rich. And I'm not just talking about this sexy cock but about the whole package."

Richard smiled. "Dwarf boot camp really helped, I must sa- _ah!_ " His words ended in an exclamation as Lee gripped the root of his cock and leaned in to swallow him down. His fingers in Lee's hair tightened their grip and his hips delivered a small but abrupt thrust that Lee was prepared for. He pulled back slightly only to change his angle, the sounds his mouth made absolutely filthy. Richard's hands grabbed his head now, thumb rubbing an obscenely bulging cheek. "Oh my God, Lee. I won't get tired of this view anytime soon."

Lee grabbed one of Richard's hips, relishing the heat and hardness of Richard in his mouth as he let him grind and swivel for a little while, until he sensed that Richard was well and truly past any nervousness. He moved away to make space, pulling at Richard's hand and giving him his best 'come hither' look. Richard dove in with a groan, no trace of reserve or shyness left as he grabbed Lee and pinned him down on his back. Leaning down to bite and suck his neck, he murmured, "You're too sexy for your own good, Lee. You drive me wild, you know that?"

Lee gave a rumbling laugh and arched up playfully against Richard's hold. After a few tries, he had their cocks bumping together, and although the friction was slight and fleeting, Richard gasped at that first wonderful contact, lowering himself to prolong it. "Oh, fuck, that feels good."

"You like that?" Lee crooned, letting his legs fall open a bit more and dry-fucking Richard who lay shuddering and gasping on top of him.

"Christ." With considerable effort, Richard sat up, breaking the contact. He did not release his grip on Lee's wrists. "Stop it, Lee, you're not in charge right now."

Lee smiled and obeyed, letting his hips fall back and keeping them still. Richard bent down to kiss him, a slow, attentive, grounding kiss that caused something to coil up tight in Lee's belly. When Richard's hands slowly released his arms, Lee did not move them, happy to let Richard take the reins. Lying like this, with his arms bent loosely above his head and his legs spread wide, he waited.

Humming his approval, Richard let his fingers run the length of Lee's arms, briefly squeezing his biceps and lingering to acquaint himself with the presence of hair in the warm pits of his arms. Every inch of Lee's body needed to be touched and explored, it seemed, not a single nook or cranny could be left undiscovered, and Lee's breathing deepened as he felt Richard's patient hands running all over him, lulling him into a hazy state of bliss. Eventually Richard began using his mouth as well, lavishing Lee's chest and nipples and hips and even thighs until Lee was desperate for more, shifting restlessly to get his cock closer to Richard's mouth.

"No, no, not this time." Richard leaned across to grab a few bottles from the nightstand. "Turn over for me."

Lee blindly obeyed, rolling over to settle on his stomach. The mattress dipped briefly as Richard straddled him, and Lee heard the click of a bottle being opened. Moments later Richard's hands returned, slick with massage oil.

"Fuck," Lee gasped, lowering his face into the pillow as those hands began to knead his shoulders. He was a sucker for a good massage, and Richard seemed to know intuitively where to find the knots and how to loosen them. Forearms strong and wiry from wielding Orcrist, he patiently worked his way down while Lee groaned and grunted _oh fuck yes_ and other encouragements. A few times, Richard paused to apply more oil, digging in with his thumbs, the heels of his hands and his knuckles to work out the last of the tension pooling at the small of Lee's back.

"Christ, Richard," Lee raised his head from the pillow to free up his mouth. "You're a fucking god, you know that?"

Richard chuckled, low and throaty. "Yes, I can tell you're enjoying yourself, and I'm glad." He moved away, nudging Lee's thighs open. Lee could feel him shifting about, but was far too relaxed to look over his shoulder. Then suddenly Richard's hands were back, covering the globes of Lee's ass and squeezing slightly. Lee gave a gasp that turned into a moan when he felt Richard's thumbs spreading him, and then the scratch of a stubbly chin preceding the first tentative lick. "Oh my god," he panted, bracing himself on his elbows, and he had to force himself to keep his hips still as Richard's tongue circled and flicked at his opening. "Fuck, Richard. You just keep surprising me."

"Good." Richard briefly let his tongue dip lower, to Lee's balls, but soon he was back at the tight ring of muscle, spreading Lee wider with his fingers to give himself more room. He began pushing his tongue in, working past the resistance of trembling and clenching muscle while Lee bit his lip to keep from shouting, which he ended up doing anyway. "More, Richard, give me more."

Richard delivered a small bite to one of Lee's cheeks. "Fuck, you're tight," he breathed. "Not a lot of room for me to work."

"You won't be complaining about that later on, I promise," Lee countered.

Richard chuckled and dove back in, his breath hot on Lee's skin as he pushed in hard and deep, drawing a shout from Lee, who let his head fall forward on the pillow. His cock throbbed against the bed, desperately hard, and Richard was working magic with his tongue, plunging in until Lee was slick and loose and so damn ready that he was begging for it, chanting _please fuck me, Richard_ and other variations of that same sentence.

"Hand me those condoms," Richard rasped, sitting up. Lee reached and grabbed and tossed the whole strip in his general direction, looking back to watch Richard roll one on and slick his cock with a liberal amount of lube. He shifted until he could place the tip against Lee's well-prepared hole and then laid himself out on top of Lee, who twisted so that their eyes could meet. Richard moved in for a kiss, seemed to hesitate, aware of where his mouth had just been, but Lee met him halfway, flicking his mouth open with his tongue and feeling the shudder that ran the length of Richard's body.

"You are amazing, Lee," Richard breathed, cupping Lee's jaw as he looked into his eyes. "I won't forget this night, this moment, even if I live to be a hundred years."

Lee swallowed, grappling for words, a fitting response, but it seemed that none was required. Richard kissed him once more and braced his weight on one arm, using the other hand to hold his cock steady as he began to slowly press inside.


	11. Destroying So Sweetly

_"Oh fuck."_

Lee didn't know who said it first, he or Richard, but it was hardly important. When the blunt head of Richard's cock nudged him open, the only thing that mattered was how fucking great it felt, even though that first stretch of muscle and reluctant tissue was not without its discomforts. Richard's cock had length as well as girth, but Lee gritted his teeth and toughened it out, knowing that his reward was just around the corner.

If Lee was a mess, though, Richard was a trembling, babbling wreck. All of his eloquence seemed to have left him, as he was incapable of uttering anything except Lee's name and the words _you are amazing_ , sometimes with a ringing expletive thrown in. When he was about halfway in, he paused, struggling for breath.

"What's the matter, Rich?" Lee glanced over his shoulder, smirking a bit. "I know you've got more to give. Let me have it."

"Yeah, I..." Richard seemed to pull himself together somewhat, lifting his head from where it had lain on Lee's shoulder. "Sorry, I just... didn't expect it to be so--"

"So _good_?" Lee drawled, laying on the Texan sauce thick and heavy. He clenched his pelvic muscles just for the pleasure of watching Richard's face contort, his mouth fall open in a gasp. "Baby, the best is yet to come. Now give me that big cock, give me all of it."

Richard kissed Lee's neck and pushed himself up with a groan, sitting back on his haunches between Lee's wide-spread thighs. Lee could hear him sucking in a breath as he got an eyeful of his own cock buried in Lee's ass. One of his hands moved, touching, feeling the stretch of muscle. "Does it hurt?"

"Just go slow." Lee twisted around slightly. "Have you never done anal with a girl?"

Richard shook his head distractedly, gaze transfixed on where they were joined as he slowly pulled back, testing how far he could go without slipping out. Then, grabbing Lee's hips for leverage, he kept watching as he began the slow slide back in, not stopping this time until he bottomed out, emitting an unintelligible grunt when he did.

"Fuck yeah, that's more like it." Lee curled his fingers into the pillow, gasping with the strain of being empaled and stretched to the limit. He could feel every inch of Richard's considerable length inside him, promising a rough but enjoyable ride ahead. He wriggled his ass slightly, teasingly. "Your nice, hard cock fills me up real good, Rich."

"Stop it." Richard groaned and pinched one of Lee's ass cheeks reproachfully. "Do you actually want me to shoot right here and now?" Lee shook his head emphatically. "Then shut that filthy mouth of yours."

Lee grinned but let out a gasp of surprise when Richard pulled him up by his hips, and he barely had enough time to brace himself before Richard delivered his first, experimental thrust. Positioned like this, with his ass raised in the air for Richard to ride, Lee was vaguely aware of what a display they must be making and he caught himself wishing for a mirror-- or a camera. He quickly filed that idea away for future reference before all coherent thought fled his mind as Richard began fucking him in earnest, working his hips in a grinding rhythm that gradually increased in speed. Lee dug his elbows in to withstand it, fingers grabbing at the sheets while Richard's moved all over, sliding from hips to shoulders and all the way down to his thighs, trying to find leverage where he could. "Oh my God, Lee," he grunted, hips snapping forward to bury himself deep, "you look incredible taking my cock like this. You feel so good, so fucking good."

He drove in from a different angle then, and the friction was so perfect that Lee cried out, arching his spine and using what breath he could find between thrusts to encourage Richard with an almost continuous stream of mostly three-word phrases like _fuck right there, that's it baby, that's the spot, please don't stop, love that cock, fuck me harder._ Every time the head of Richard's cock nudged him just right, the heat and pressure in Lee's belly and balls coiled tighter and tighter, and he realized with regret that he wasn't going to last long like this, not long at all.

It was as if Richard had read his mind, because suddenly he stopped, pulling out and leaving Lee empty and aching. The next moment Lee was flipped over and Richard crawled over him to steal a breathless kiss. It was a sloppy thing, open and wet and a bit messy, and it tasted of the blended salt of two sweaty men.

Eventually Richard sat up, grabbing the backs of Lee's knees and lifting them. "This is better," he said in a low, rough voice. "I want to look into your eyes when you come with my cock inside you." He moved into position, rubbing himself a few times against Lee's hyper-sensitive, waiting hole. "Lend me a hand, will you?"

Biting his lip, Lee reached down and took Richard's heavy cock in hand, holding it steady as Richard pushed back in. The penetration was easier this time, and Lee braced himself on one elbow, trying to angle himself in such a way that he could watch.

"Can you see?" Richard asked. When Lee nodded, he went on, "You should see yourself right now, Lee, all hard and flushed and waiting for me to fuck you. Even in my best wet dream I couldn't think up an image such as this."

Lee smiled and briefly squeezed his own balls before wrapping his hand around his shaft. "Now who's got the dirty mouth?"

"Must be your bad influence."

Lee lay back, looking at Richard from under lowered lashes as he slowly pumped his cock. "Less talking, more fucking."

Richard responded at once, planting his knees firmly into the bed and pushing Lee's knees further up as he began thrusting in. It was not the perfect angle, but he didn't seem to be in any hurry to find it, his eyes trained on what Lee's hand was doing, soft groans falling from slightly parted lips. "I can't wait to have that cock in me," he said, and the flush that covered his face and neck actually deepened a bit at the confession.

"Don't worry, you'll get your turn." Lee turned his head from side to side, a frown of frustration pulling furrows between his brows. "Now stop half-assing it, old man. Fuck me properly."

"So impatient." Richard leaned forward and braced his hands on the bed, nearly bending Lee in two. There was something of a challenge flickering in his eyes. "You want it hard, then? Hard and deep?"

Lee linked his ankles behind Richard's back. "As hard as you can give it,... old man."

Richard smothered Lee's giggle with a kiss and let his hips slam down harder on the next thrust, earning himself a groan of approval from Lee. Before Lee could properly catch his breath, Richard delivered the next spot-on thrust and began working his hips in a way that was very unlike an old man indeed, every stroke punctuated by a lewd, wet slap of skin-against-skin. This was shaking-the-bed, waking-up-the-neighbors kind of sex, and it was quickly getting down to the wire for both of them. Richard grabbed Lee's wrists and pinned them down above his head. "Can you come without touching yourself?"

Lee worried his bottom lip with his teeth and nodded, digging his heels into Richard's ass to pull him in deeper still. He was close, frustratingly so, but not quite there yet. "Talk to me, Richard," he pleaded, because if there was one thing that could give him that final push, it was Richard's deep baritone muttering filthy nothings into his ear. It was quite a lot to ask from a reserved man like him, but Richard bowed his head and delivered the goods beautifully, murmuring phrases that would never pass his lips in the light of day. Lee's mouth fell open to emit a keening whine, rising in volume with every whispered encouragement.

"Come on, Lee," Richard urged, grabbing his chin between his fingers and gazing at him with the most intense stare Lee had seen from him to date. "Show me how beautifully you come. Show me everything."

Lee whimpered and arched his back and at the next stroke of Richard's cock, he threw back his head and saw stars-- quite literally, because right above his head was the skylight with the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere twinkling far beyond. He shuddered and felt his come pulsing out between them while Richard held him tight and increased the force of his thrusts one last time to join him. "Oh fuck, Lee, Lee, _fuck!_ "

With a deep, long groan and several convulsions, Richard spent himself, his trembling arms threatening to give out under him as he rode it out. Lee reached up to touch him, insides going weak with that familiar swoop of tenderness that never failed to rear its head immediately after, even while his come was still warm on his skin.

"Bloody hell," Richard panted, and the words seemed to come from his very toes. "God bless New Zealand."

Lee raised his eyebrows in surprise and started laughing. "Rich, you may just be the first man in the history of the world to speak those words after getting laid."

Richard smirked and leaned down, gently mouthing Lee's neck. "I hope I wasn't too rough at the end," he murmured apologetically, "sorry if I--"

"Rich," Lee interrupted, "if you spoil this perfect moment by saying sorry one more time, so help me God, I'll kick your scrawny English ass all the way back to Wellington."

Richard chuckled lazily and once he had pulled out and discarded the condom, they settled into a somewhat sticky body tangle. Lee eyed the box of tissues that was calling to him from his nightstand, but Richard wasn't complaining about the mess and truth be told, he was far too comfortable to move. "That's three times I got lucky today," he murmured into Richard's hair. "It's been a while since that happened."

"I'll give you five minutes, and then we'll go for a fourth." Lee gave a shocked little gasp, and Richard smiled. "That's what you get for calling me old... squirt."


	12. Stand On The Horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear reader-folk, this might not be the chapter you were expecting. Even I am a little surprised at how it turned out. But remember, you gotta have a little angst to counterbalance the porn. :)

"Wake up, sleepyhead." The voice was soft, gentle, but insistent. "Rise and shine." 

With some reluctance, Lee cracked his eyes open to slits to find himself on his back in a sinful, full-body sprawl, naked and sporting a lazy morning erection that was decidedly more awake than he was after what felt like too few hours of sleep. For a split second, he tried to recall the really good dream he must have had, until his vision cleared and revealed the man straddling him. Even in his groggy state, Lee could not help but notice that Richard was looking far more attractive than should be allowed wearing two things: a pair of sweats that sat enticingly low on his hips and the cocky smile of a man who's recently had earth-shattering sex. It was the morning after the night before, and Lee suddenly remembered _everything_. "Hey," he murmured in a voice rough and low from sleep, returning the smile. 

"Hey yourself." Richard leaned down for a good morning kiss, hand settling on Lee's chest as though it belonged there. "Sorry to wake you from your beauty sleep, but I thought you would like to know that breakfast will be ready in five minutes." 

"Breakfast?" Lee scrambled for his phone to see that it was 6.37 AM. "Good God, Rich. How long have you been awake?" 

"Since 5, give or take a few. I'm so used to it by now. I've let you sleep as long as I could, but there's a pretty spectacular sunrise about to happen that you don't want to miss. I've set the table on the terrace." 

Lee leaned up on one elbow and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. Unlike Richard, he had no trouble at all sleeping in, and it usually took one or two cups of strong coffee to get him going. "Oh Christ, you're one of those cheery morning persons, aren't you? Can I shower first? I feel pretty foul." They had cleaned up as best they could before passing out, but there was only so much that tissues could do. 

"As long as it doesn't take more than five minutes." Richard made to dismount, but Lee moved quickly, grabbing his arm. 

"What about this?" He gestured at his crotch and gave Richard the most seductive look he was capable of at this hour. "Wanna take care of that for me, stud?" 

Richard smiled and rolled his eyes, taking Lee's shaft in a dry hand and stroking it slowly. "Five minutes, Lee," he repeated as his thumb swiped the swollen crown. "The sunrise waits for no man." 

"No problem," Lee said, reaching for the lube. "A three-minute handjob and then a two-minute shower. That's a pretty good start of the day in my book." 

*** 

Approximately six and a half minutes later, Lee and Richard settled in to watch the day break from the terrace of their eagle nest, as Lee had affectionately nicknamed their cabin on the hill. Richard, never one for half measures, had set the table with all sorts of good stuff: fresh coffee for Lee and tea for himself, bread, fruit, yoghurt, even fried bacon and scrambled eggs. 

"I didn't have the muffins to make eggs benedict," he said semi-apologetically. 

"I'm sure I'll get over it somehow." Lee took a picture of the mouth-watering display, and then couldn't resist snapping one of Richard, who was wearing one of Lee's sweaters and whose profile was beautifully lit by the orange-pink hues of the sun as it was about to peek over the horizon. 

Richard heard the click of the shutter and glanced at Lee suspiciously. "Did you just take a picture of me?" 

"Yes." Lee's fingers moved rapidly over the keys. "I'm going to send it to my sister, is that okay?" 

Richard looked less than thrilled. "Is that absolutely necessary?" 

"Imperative. I want to show my man off." 

"But I look unkempt and unshaven and wiped out from only two hours of sleep. That's not the first impression I want to make on your family." 

"Please, Richard." Lee gave his best puppy impression. "It's just for my sister, and she's chill, I promise. She won't be passing that pic around at the next family get-together, if that's what you're afraid of." 

"Hmph," Richard reacted non-committally, and Lee sensed that he should probably let the topic rest for now, so he put the phone out of sight and took up his fork. "The table looks great, Rich.  I can't believe you sneaked out of bed and prepared all this on your own. You should have let me help. I feel so useless and spoilt." 

"I didn't mind doing it. I was too jittery to stay in bed, and you were completely lost to the world. A stampede of wildebeest couldn't have woken you up at that point." 

"And whose fault is that?" Lee grinned, shoving a forkful of egg into his mouth. "You rode my ass pretty hard last night, Rich." 

At this, Richard seemed to cringe a little bit and ducked his head, looking everywhere except at Lee, who watched this flustered response with some confusion. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," Richard muttered into his cup of tea. 

"Like hell you are. Come on, out with it." 

Richard shrugged, every word he spoke fighting its way out of his mouth. "I just don't want to talk about last night right now, okay?" 

Lee sank his teeth into a generously buttered loaf of bread and chewed thoughtfully. "Can you say why?" 

"Because it's not something I want to discuss over muesli and eggs first thing in the morning. And certainly not in those terms." 

Lee was thrown off guard a bit. Not even fifteen minutes ago, this man had sat on top of him and pumped his cock with such skill that Lee hadn't even lasted the allotted three minutes. Where did this complete turnaround come from? "Okay, gotcha. What shall we talk about, then?" 

For the next half hour, they discussed their plans for the day, deciding on a morning hike and some whale watching in the afternoon. However, the sunlight seemed a little less bright and the morning breeze a little colder than before. The awkwardness only lifted when an inquisitive weka wandered onto their porch, lured by the prospect of food. 

"Funny-looking little buggers, aren't they?" Lee said as he tossed the spotted brown bird a few crumbs. "Looks like the result of an indiscretion between a chicken and a duck." 

Richard smiled. "I don't think you're supposed to feed them, though." 

"What's the big deal? It's just this little guy." 

"It is today. Tomorrow he'll bring all his friends, and their families. Then you'll be fighting them off." 

"All the better. We can pick us a nice fat one and have a barbecue." 

Richard tried to look scandalized, but couldn't help laughing. "Assuming for a moment that would be legal, would you even know how to pluck and gut a bird?" 

"Wouldn't be the first time. Have you never...?" 

"I live in _London_ ," Richard pointed out. "If I went around slaughtering birds, my neighbors would call the RSPCA on me, and I don't think my generous donations would save me then." 

"You donate to the Humane Society?" Lee asked, pleased to discover that this, too, was something they had in common. "Me too." 

Richard nodded. "Every dog we ever had was a rescue." 

"I wish you could meet Carl," Lee said. "He's such a gentle, good dog. If there was any way I could have brought him to New Zealand, I would have. Chris used to let me talk to him over Skype, but it's been a while now. I'm going to pick him up as soon as my feet touch New York ground." 

Richard nodded sedately. "When are you flying out again?" 

"December 22nd. Which leaves me very little time for Christmas shopping. I'll have to pull off some sort of miracle." Lee laughed, but Richard didn't join in, and suddenly the chill was back in the air. Richard finished breakfast soon after that and got up, announcing that he was going to take a shower. As Lee watched him trudge off inside, shoulders slightly hunched under an invisible weight, he began having a suspicion of what Richard's moodiness was about, and he realized that they would have to have The Conversation pretty soon. His stomach clenched a bit at the thought. 

While Richard was busy in the bathroom, Lee occupied himself by clearing the table and dumping the dirty dishes in the sink to be dealt with later. Then, resisting the temptation to strip naked and surprise Richard in the shower, he found the emergency pack of cigarettes he always carried around with him and took it out onto the terrace along with another cup of coffee. He had not smoked since leaving Wellington, but he could do with a little extra courage right about now. 

He had barely flicked his lighter and taken the first hit when his phone rang. The loudness of it actually gave him a little start - he usually kept in contact with people through texts and Skype - and his surprise only increased when he saw the name in the display. For a moment he considered letting the call go to voice mail-- but it could be important. It could be about Carl. 

He took a breath and lifted the phone to his ear, steeling himself. "Hi, Chris," he said.


	13. Step Across It With You

"You're hard to get a hold of these days," Chris said without preamble. "I've been trying to reach you since yesterday." 

"I haven't got any missed calls. But the connection kind of comes and goes out here." While this was in fact true, Lee decided Chris didn't need to know that 'out here' didn't refer to Wellington. 

"I tried Skype, but you weren't there either. It's not like you to go AWOL, Lee." A chuckle. "I even checked the New Zealand news sites for earthquakes or other natural disasters." 

"That's not funny." Even though Lee had arrived in New Zealand after the dramatic events in Christchurch, many members of the Hobbit crew had sad stories to tell of family and friends whose lives had been affected by the quake, and Chris's callousness rubbed Lee the wrong way. "Were you just calling to check up on me, or what was the reason you needed to speak to me so badly?" 

"Simmer down. I just wanted to let you know I moved the last of my stuff out of the apartment yesterday." 

"Great," Lee said flatly. "That's great, Chris. Thanks for letting me know. That's just the sort of news I love to hear at 8 AM." 

"8, really? I thought it was like 10 over there." This was Chris in prime form, nonchalant through and through. Lee had told him the time difference at least a dozen times, but it was as if Chris simply didn't care enough to remember it. Once, Lee had sort of admired the trait, or at least tolerated it. Now it straight up annoyed him. "You get up early for filming anyway, right?" 

Lee gave no answer, knowing that none was expected. As a couple he and Chris had fought their battles; he had nothing to gain from arguing now. "So you stripped the apartment. Did you leave your copy of the key with the neighbors?" 

"Didn't think of that. I'll give it to you when you come pick up Carl. He says hi, by the way." 

Lee blinked, lifting his head to gaze into the distance as he let the sudden surge of emotions subside. Yeah, he missed his dog to pieces and he made no excuses for it. "Is he settling in okay at your new place? Is there a park nearby?" 

"Yeah, yeah. He's already made a bunch of new friends there, don't worry." A pause. "Oh. Uh... I took one of your sweaters from the hamper. The blue hoodie with the Knicks logo. For the scent, you know. I think it's reassuring for him." 

"Yeah. Good idea." Lee took an unsteady drag of his cigarette. "You haven't sent me any new pictures of Carl in a while." 

"Right, I'll do that in a bit. Are you smoking? I thought you were trying to quit." 

"'Trying' being the operative word." Lee grimaced. "Text me your new address as well, okay?" 

"Sure." There was a silence on the other end, and Lee could sense that Chris, like him, was uncomfortable in this new role, with its new rules for interaction. For three years they had cohabited, shared pillows and socks and a dog, seen each other at their best and at their worst. All that shared history, that familiarity, didn't go away overnight simply because they had decided to call it quits. 

Softened by nostalgia and thoughts of his dog, Lee suddenly felt a need to be truthful. "Hey, Chris?" 

"Yeah?" 

"I might as well tell you." He glanced over his shoulder at the cabin and immediately felt bad for his guilty behavior. "I've met someone new." 

A beat on the New York end of the conversation. " _Really?_ Wow. You didn't waste any time. Who is the lucky rebound?" 

"He's not the rebound," Lee said calmly. "And you really needn't be spiteful. I'm only being honest." 

"Why? It's not my business anymore, is it? Unless..." Chris's tone grew slightly colder. "Were you fucking this guy before we broke up?" 

"No." 

"I really want to believe that." 

"You should, because it's the truth. I didn't go looking for a new relationship, Chris, but guess what, it just happened. That's all there is to it." 

"I don't know what to tell you, Lee." A sigh. "I think it's awfully hasty, to be quite frank, but it's your life. I have no say in it anymore." 

"Damn right." Lee angrily stubbed out his cigarette and resisted the urge to light a new one right away. Telling Chris was the right thing to do, but he half regretted it already. Perhaps he should have waited until the next phone call. This cabin was the perfect private bubble Richard had arranged for them, and now Lee had let his ex invade that bubble. It wasn't right. 

"So, who is the guy?" Chris asked in a tone that was a little too cordial to be genuine. "Someone you met on set? Hair? Make-up? Props?" 

"No comment," Lee said tersely. "I'm seeing someone and it isn't a fling, that's all you need to know. And I don't care if you or anyone else thinks it's too soon. All I know is that I was fucking miserable a month ago and now I'm not. Try to be happy for me." 

"I'll work on that with my therapist. But, Lee, one more thing..." 

"What?" 

"I hope this guy is as serious about you as you claim to be about him." 

Lee turned around and saw that Richard had appeared from the bathroom and was standing at the sink. The sink where Lee had dumped the dirty dishes earlier. _Shit_. "I'm gonna have to hang up, Chris. Give Carl a hug from me and don't forget to send me those pictures." Barely giving Chris the time to respond, he hung up and immediately turned off his phone. No more invasions or disturbances until he and Richard had talked through whatever issue had cast a shadow over what should have been a perfect morning after a perfect night. 

He went inside and approached Richard, folding his arms around him from behind. "That's my job you're doing." 

"I don't mind doing it." 

"That's not the point. You have to let my pull my weight, or I'll turn into the worst sort of diva. And you don't want that, believe me." He reached across and turned off the tap, letting silence descend on the room. "Can we talk? I'll go first if you want." 

Richard merely nodded. 

"I just talked to Chris. I took the call because it could have been about Carl." 

"You owe me no explanation," Richard said. "You can talk to your ex about Carl or for any other reason. My feelings about it are irrelevant." 

"See, that's where you're wrong," Lee said, "and after what happened at breakfast, it's exactly your feelings I want to talk about. Let's cut to the chase here, Richard. Do you or do you not feel threatened by Chris? Because if you don't, you're probably not human." 

Richard didn't respond, but he didn't have to. His body language spoke volumes; even his neck somehow looked insecure. Lee exhaled a sigh and nuzzled that neck, smelling the fresh scent of shampoo. "What's wrong, Rich? And what do I need to do or say to make it go away?" 

"I don't know." Richard gave a helpless, barely-there shrug. "I'm sorry for being such an arse this morning. I just..." 

He trailed off into silence, and Lee squeezed his arms about him slightly, feeling all that bottled-up tension simmering just below the surface. "Go on. Tell me." 

"Last night was... really special to me," Richard finally said, every syllable a triumph of will over reserve. "I got irritated because you were already joking about it while I was still processing it, and I can't talk or joke about things I'm processing. That's just how I'm engineered." 

Lee nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll remember that." 

"And then," Richard went on, the flow of words gradually gaining momentum, "you mentioned going home and Carl and you were laughing about that as well, and it made me wonder if... if I had been reading the situation all wrong before." 

"Situation?" 

"This." Richard gestured vaguely around them. "Us. Maybe it all means more to me than it does to you. Maybe it's all just a beautiful dream, something you'll take home to New York and think fondly of occasionally while you patch things up with your ex. How could I blame you if you did?" 

"Whoa, hey, hang on." Lee took Richard by the shoulders and turned him around. "I joke, Rich, because that's the way _I_ am engineered, but don't you think for a moment that I don't take this seriously. Remember that talk we had in the car after our first date? I told you right off the bat that I wasn't interested in a fling, didn't I?" 

Richard nodded slowly. "Yes, you did." 

"And that's how I feel about it still. Look, I don't have a crystal ball and I don't know where we'll stand a month or a year from now. What I do know is that I fucking love being with you, and that I plan on skyping the hell out of this relationship once I'm back in New York. I'm in this, Rich, okay? And not just for the sex, fucking amazing though it was." 

Richard seemed to mull this over for a few moments before giving Lee a crooked, self-deprecating smile. "I've never used Skype before. Will you show me how to install it?" 

Lee smiled as well. "Of course, old man," he said, pronouncing the term of endearment as affectionately as he could. "Long-distance couples the world over swear by it. Phone sex as you knew it will never be the same." He paused, then added sheepishly, "Uh... I'm not on their payroll or anything, in case you were wondering." 

Richard chuckled and linked his hands behind Lee's neck, caressing the skin with his thumbs. "Well, then you should be, because you make a good pitch. But Skype sex, however interesting it sounds, can wait. We have three weeks left, and there are plenty of other things I want to try before then." 

"Mmm." Lee wriggled his eyebrows, lowering his hands to Richard's hips and hooking his fingers into the pockets of his jeans. "Care to tell me what they are? Maybe we can start checking things off that list right now." 

"You already know what's first on my list," Richard said, dipping his chin somewhat and looking through his lashes at Lee. "I want to have you inside me. Tongue, fingers, cock, I want the full subscription." 

"The gold membership." Richard's words and the tone in which they were spoken had an instant effect on Lee that his loose sweats did nothing to hide, and he dragged him closer by his hips for a slow grind. At once passion flared hot and fast between them, chasing away the chill as well as the need for conversation. The other things Lee had planned on saying slipped from his mind as Richard slowly rutted his hips against him, mouth gaping and the shape of his swelling cock bulging at the front of his jeans. "Bedroom?" he proposed in a slightly ragged voice. 

Lee nodded and began steering him toward the door. "Bedroom."


	14. A Way Through Me

Even though the bedroom was only five or six paces from the kitchen, they didn't make it inside right away, too distracted and desperately entwined to avoid bumping into the doorpost, which they then used to stay upright while they kissed and dry-humped through their clothes. Their bodies slotted together perfectly, like Richard was the yin to Lee's yang, and the embrace was all the more satisfying for the morning they'd had. Even if Richard hadn't already told him what he wanted, Lee would have known from the way Richard kissed him, or rather let himself be kissed, not even putting up a token struggle when Lee grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head. His willingness to surrender and accept Lee's lead was evident, and so powerfully arousing that Lee buried his face against Richard's neck and waited until his senses returned to him. In his mouth, the taste of Richard's minty toothpaste clashed strangely pleasantly with the nicotine from the cigarette he'd smoked. 

He released Richard's arms and stood back to create some distance, allowing himself a moment to look Richard up and down. There was much to admire: long legs and narrow hips hugged by pale blue denim, powerful arms and chest accentuated by a maroon polo tight enough to reveal lust-peaked nipples. And the most devastatingly blue eyes Lee had ever seen, even more striking for the fact that Richard's hair was at least two shades darker when wet. 

"Look at you," Lee said, shaking his head as his roving gaze came to rest on Richard's face. "You're a freaking god. How a man like you can have any insecurities at all is beyond me." 

Richard flushed but didn't look away, biting his kiss-swollen bottom lip and hesitantly fingering the hem of his shirt. There was a questioning look in his eyes, as if he was asking Lee for confirmation. 

"Yes," Lee said. "Take it off. Just the shirt." 

Richard reached up with both hands and pulled the polo over his head. The movement mussed up his hair somewhat, and he quickly smoothed the wayward strands out of his eyes in what was a boyishly-awkward, almost bashful gesture that made Lee's heart do a funny little loop-the-loop. Soon, however, his eyes wandered lower, to the small amount of shorter hair that covered Richard's sternum and the thin stripe that ran down his belly and disappeared into his jeans. Richard was in the shape of his life; his muscles bulged and rolled beneath supple flesh and skin as he moved, and Lee nearly whimpered his appreciation at what felt like a sensual private performance just for him. 

Richard raised his eyes to meet Lee's, still questioning, as if asking for new instructions. That look traveled straight to Lee's groin like an electric current, sparking lustful heat as it branched out to his limbs. Richard looking at him like that, wanting directions and willing to follow them whatever they were, was way too tempting by far. 

"Play with your nipples." Despite his confidence in all matters sexual, Lee felt his face grow warm as he heard those words coming out of his mouth. "Show me how you'd want them touched if it was my fingers." 

With a groan, Richard obeyed. He circled his nipples a few times, alternately flicking the nubs and rubbing them while Lee watched as if spellbound. The space between them seemed to crackle and thrum with sexual energy as Richard played his own body like a virtuoso would his instrument. His mouth fell open in a silent gasp and he pushed his hips out reflexively, meeting nothing but air. "Lee, god..." 

"Lick your fingers," Lee rasped, transfixed by the breathtaking display in front of him. His cock was throbbing so hard that it hurt, and he couldn't resist palming himself through the fabric of his sweatpants to alleviate the pressure. "Make them nice and wet, darling." 

Richard whimpered and gave Lee what he asked for, his head lolling slowly to the side as he let his ministrations grow rougher, pinching and pulling and re-wetting his fingers until his tortured nipples were slick with saliva and flushed bright red. "Lee, please," he entreated. 

The husky plea was more than Lee could take, and he reached out to replace Richard's fingers with his own, rolling his already-sensitive nipples and leaning down to take one of them into his mouth. Richard hissed and grabbed a handful of Lee's hair, tugging slightly when Lee sealed his lips over the nub and sucked. "Ah, fuck," he muttered, angling his head to watch Lee's mouth working on him. "Lee, harder." 

Lee moaned in surprise and increased the suction, worrying the fleshy peak against his teeth until Richard gasped in discomfort and pleasure. Lee released the nipple and moved across to the other one, taking a moment to swirl his tongue through the hair on Richard's chest before mirroring his ministrations on the other side. 

_"So good,"_ Richard whispered, his hand lying almost reverently on Lee's head. 

After one last flick of his tongue, Lee stepped away, smiling when Richard whined in protest and grasped weakly at the air as if to haul him back. "Now your cock," he said, gesturing at the prominent swelling at the front of Richard's jeans. "Take it out for me." 

Richard licked his dry lips and reached down, not looking entirely sure of himself as he slowly unzipped and parted the fabric, revealing a stiff cock that didn't need much encouragement to spring free. Looking at it, Lee felt his mouth watering with the need to swallow Richard down head to root, but he wondered if he could push him just a little further. "Touch yourself?" It came out as a question rather than a command, but once again Richard obeyed, despite blushing a shade of scarlet that rivaled the color of his straining cock. As Lee watched that cock slipping through Richard's fist, getting slicker with every stroke, he reached down the front of his sweatpants and started mimicking Richard's movements, his prick feeling hot and heavy in his hand. 

"God, Lee." Richard closed his eyes and tipped his head back, his Adam's apple jutting out from the long expanse of his throat. "Please come here and touch me." 

Lee gave in at once, defenseless against the powerful aphrodisiac that was Richard begging for him. He let his hand take over from Richard's and planted wet, open-mouthed kisses along his neck as Richard thrust into his hand erratically, murmuring Lee's name over and over. From the corner of his eye Lee could see the bed beckoning, waiting to receive them, but nothing, absolutely nothing was more important right now than the man shivering against him, the eager cock throbbing in his hand. 

He dropped to his knees and took the head into his mouth, hollowing his cheeks and sucking hard while moving his hand with sharp twists of the wrist. With his other hand he pushed Richard's jeans further down until he could access the tight sac below, massaging the two globes within while he eased more and more of Richard's length into his mouth. His throat muscles protested and his lungs burned, but he reckoned that there were worse ways to go than choking on a big cock like this. And while he hadn't planned on taking things this far, there was no way he could stop at this point; he had to take Richard's load right here and now, and not just swallow it but really taste it on his tongue, feel it flood his mouth. He pulled slowly back and tongued at the slit, holding Richard's heavy cock steady with one hand and squeezing his balls with the other. 

"Ohhh, god." Richard grunted low and deep, his fingers pressing into Lee's scalp. "Lee, I'm coming." A shudder ran through his legs and as he cried out, the first warm spurt hit the roof of Lee's mouth, followed by another and another and another, until he was spent and Lee had to coax the last drops out with his fingers, lapping them up with care. 

"Jesus fucking Christ," Richard panted when he found his voice again, running trembling fingers through Lee's hair. "No offense to my exes, but none of them could suck cock like you can, Lee." 

"What can I say." Lee smiled up at him. "It's something I just really enjoy doing." With most of Richard's come still sitting bitter on his tongue, he swallowed his now slightly softer cock once more, feeling it twitch tiredly against the back of his throat. He started a slow bobbing motion, using his tongue to patiently and affectionately lavish the most sensitive spots. Above him he heard Richard sigh, then hum in surprise when instead of growing flaccid, his cock remained firm, even made an attempt at getting harder. 

"Very impressive, old man," Lee said, pulling off with a grin. "You're made of stronger stuff than I thought." 

"You can give yourself the credit," Richard countered. "The last time this happened to me was almost twenty years ago." 

Lee assisted Richard in taking his jeans off the rest of the way and then got up, kissing him and taking his hand. "Come on," he said with a smile, "let's see if we can actually make it into the bedroom this time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is yet another chapter that didn't turn out the way I planned. Damn Lee's cock sucking skills!


	15. What Other People Call Passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting! Your reward is a long, smut-heavy chapter. Enjoy!

Lee backed Richard into the bedroom slowly, praying that the floor was clear because all he had eyes for was Richard, whose pupil-dominated eyes and smiling, kiss-flushed mouth filled his vision, pulling at his gaze and holding it captive. Richard did not have the most open of faces; in fact, when he was focusing intently on something, usually within the confines of his own head, he could give off a broody and unapproachable vibe that made some people nervous, but his smile more than made up for it. Seeing that smile directed at him now, Lee did not mind admitting to himself that he was a goner.

Behind Richard the bed loomed, still unmade and messy from their earlier escapades. The moment Richard's calves touched it he was on the bed, lying back spread-eagled in what was an unconscious, languid impression of the Vitruvian Man, with the glorious exception of his hard cock resting swollen and dark against his belly. Lee quickly slid off his sweatpants and kicked them away, taking his own erection in a loose fist and making lazy strokes as he took in the sight before him. Richard was smiling, relaxed after the blowjob and free of his former inhibitions, happy to let Lee stare at him but less so about what he was doing with his hand.

"Hey now, that isn't fair," he drawl-chided, leaning up slightly and reaching out. "Come here and let me do that."

"I think you've done quite enough." Lee knelt on the bed and crawled towards him, making sure to keep his cock out of Richard's reach as he settled down next to him. "That was quite the show you gave me back there. Got me so hot and bothered that I just had to get down on my knees and blow you, which is so not what I had planned."

Richard smirked wryly. "Sorry."

"Don't be. As far as surprises go, this was definitely a good one." He caught Richard's questing hand and pulled it away from his groin area. "Uh-uh, hands off. From here on out, things are going my way." He pushed himself up, looming over Richard, who swallowed as they stared at each other. "You trust me, right?"

Richard nodded. "Yes," he replied simply, and Lee could see the truth of that statement in his eyes. What he read in that intense blue gaze was uncensored affection and more, and he could feel his heart falling wide open in response to that look, like a flower unfurling under the warmth of the sun. He lowered his mouth onto Richard's, aware that the emotions welling up inside would spill right over into the kiss. Richard responded to him at once, sliding his arms around his waist and hooking a leg over his to reel him in closer. He did not hold back, receiving everything Lee put into the kiss and returning it tenfold. It was breathtaking, literally so, and all too soon Lee had to break away and fill his lungs with air.

"Out of breath already?" Richard teased. "What are you young boys made of nowadays?"

Lee's indignant huff ended in laughter. It seemed that when insecure Richard left the building, his sassy twin had taken his place, and Lee couldn't be more pleased. "Cut me some slack, Rich. Do you have any idea how long I had to hold my breath to give you that incredible blowjob just now?"

"No, I wasn't timing you. Sorry." Richard chuckled. "You make it look pretty effortless, though."

"Well, it's not. It's hard work." Lee leaned down and took one of Richard's earlobes between his teeth, nipping it playfully. "Not that I'm complaining, mind."

"Oh, good. You had me worried for a moment." Richard gave him a smile, a fond, private one that no magazine photographer had ever been allowed to capture, making Lee feel way more giddy than any 32-year-old man ever should. For a few moments they just stared at each other, grinning stupidly in mutual relief for having found their chemistry again, and the next kiss was deep, unhurried and purposeful, like the sealing of an unspoken agreement.

Lee began kissing his way down Richard's body, forcing himself to go slow even though his unsatisfied cock demanded a faster pace. With his hand he reached for Richard's shaft, massaging it with skillful fingers to keep it interested. When his mouth reached Richard's navel, he turned him over onto his side and kissed across the dip of his waist, maneuvering himself into a different position as he moved his mouth towards the divide of Richard's ass. He used his hands to pull the cheeks apart and expose the hidden opening, gently blowing air over it. Richard raised his head to watch him move in, sucking in a breath when Lee delivered that first deliberate lick across his hole and perineum and blew again, over wet skin this time. "Oh fuck, Lee. More."

With a rumbling groan, Lee moved back in, fingers digging into the flesh of Richard's ass as he parted the cheeks wider. Richard did what he could to help, lifting his leg into a position that under different circumstances would have made him blush for its undignified wantonness. Meanwhile, Lee kept his ministrations superficial, allowing Richard time to adjust to the sensation of having a tongue near what was arguably the most private spot on a man's body. Unsurprisingly, Richard's responses to even these simple, exploratory licks were strong, and he squirmed on the bed, one hand clutching at the sheet and the other at Lee's shoulder.

After a while Lee began to focus his attention solely on the ring of muscle that guarded Richard's entrance, circling it with the tip of his tongue before dipping inside ever so slightly, testing the resistance. It was considerable, but this too was unsurprising. He waited patiently for the clenching to subside before pushing in a little deeper, feeling Richard tremble in response. "Oh god, Lee, that's... fuck." His head fell back against the bed, teeth gritted and jaw set at a hard angle.

Lee stopped what he was doing to inspect his partner's face, noting the scrunched-up features, the deep flush of arousal, the bottom lip whitened by the pressure of biting teeth. "You okay, Rich?"

"Yeah." Richard opened his eyes, turning his bleary gaze in Lee's direction. "Keep going. _Please_."

Lee adjusted his position somewhat, trying a new angle of approach but finding it unsatisfactory. Before drawing back, he delivered a teethy kiss to the fleshy part of Richard's buttock and sucked, eliciting a hiss from Richard. "Are you giving me a hickey on my _ass_?"

"Sorry. Couldn't resist." Lee grinned and sat up, soothing the discolored spot with his thumb. "We're going to do this another way, come on."

Lee moved away to lie down on his back, pulling Richard on top of him to sit astride his chest, facing away. It took some guiding and coaxing, as Richard appeared somewhat dazed and did not have full control over his limbs. But once he was seated, understanding of what Lee intended sank in, and he braced himself on Lee's thighs with a groan just as Lee pulled him back and down the final inches. This time Lee didn't give the courtesy of a warning, pushing his tongue in right away.

"Oh shit," Richard said, the words riding out on a gasp. He tipped his weight forward and hollowed his back while Lee steadily licked into him, curling his fingers around his hips to hold him in place. "Oh shit shit  _shit_ -"

Lee worked his tongue in as deeply as he could, feeling heavy balls brushing his chin before he pulled back. The whining sound that escaped Richard's throat made his cock twitch, and he quickly re-moistened his tongue before driving it back into the tight heat of Richard's body, feeling his inner walls stuttering and bearing down on him. After a few deep strokes, however, those very muscles that had tried to push him out before began to loosen and welcome him, molding gradually to the shape of his tongue. Somewhere above him Richard was moaning, muttering a string of delirious, semi-intelligible encouragements.

"Yes, fuck yes, Lee, oh my god, so good, ah, you're so fucking good." He parted his knees further even though they were already spread wide to straddle Lee's chest, his fingers digging deeply into Lee's thighs. He took to the experience remarkably well, but then, Lee had never met a novice who didn't at least learn to appreciate a good rimming. He tried various angles and experimented with different techniques to find out what made Richard moan the loudest, eventually pulling his tired tongue out and letting his lips take over, sealing them over Richard's well-slicked hole and sucking. This too was met with a groan of appreciation, but after a few moments he pushed gently at Richard's hips to let him know it was time to change gears. This time he seemed to understand intuitively what Lee wanted, shifting about until he was facing Lee, who grabbed some pillows to prop himself up against the headboard and quickly slicked two fingers with lube. "Ready to level up?" he asked.

"Couldn't be more ready," Richard replied, his mouth falling slightly open as Lee slowly slipped one finger in. "Ah, damn."

Lee took his time, watching Richard's face for cues as he patiently worked his way inside knuckle for knuckle. "You okay, baby?"

"Yeah," Richard replied, pink tongue darting out to wet dry lips. "It's... odd. I've had doctor's appointments that went more or less like this."

Lee chuckled. "It's about to get better." With a twist of his wrist, he located the hidden nub within and pressed it lightly, crooning, "Ah, there you are."

Richard's mouth fell open wider on a soft 'ah' and he slipped one hand behind Lee's neck to brace himself. "Harder," he urged.

"Hang on." Lee clacked his tongue and applied more lube. "You can never have enough of a good thing." He pushed the same finger back in, quickly this time, trying not to dwell on the tightness of Richard and the eager throb of his own cock. He swiveled around and established a firm press against Richard's prostate, earning a loud groan of surprise. "Yeah, you feel that don't you?" he murmured heatedly, rubbing the pad of his finger around and across. "D'you like it when I touch you like this?"

"Y-yes," Richard stammered, his fingers grabbing at Lee's hair as he moved his hips in small, jerky thrusts to increase the friction within.

"Can you take more?"

"Yes, fuck yes!"

Making sure to keep working that magic spot to lessen the discomfort of an added finger, Lee began easing Richard open, scissoring and carefully stretching the tight passage to the soundtrack of Richard's whimpers and moans, tumbling freely from his lips. He retreated briefly only to add lube again and quickly worked his way back in from a slightly different angle. A rosy blush settled high on Richard's cheeks, deepening at the slick, obscene sounds his body and Lee's fingers created together. He leaned back slightly on his haunches, gyrating his hips against Lee's hand to draw him in deeper. He was breathtaking to look at, tense and taut, head tipped back to expose a throat and chest shining with perspiration. Lee thought he might explode just from seeing Richard like this, lathered like a racehorse and surrendered to the sensations of being fucked by Lee's fingers. Suddenly, selfishly, Lee heard himself saying, "Do you want to try riding my cock like this?"

Richard opened his eyes, needing a moment to focus. He licked the sweat off his upper lip and nodded. "Now?"

"I don't think I can put it off for much longer." Lee fumbled with the condoms, trying to open the wrapper using only one hand and his teeth, which was a mistake; he accidentally ripped the condom and had to get another one. He pulled his fingers out of Richard's body and quickly rolled the condom over his cock and slicked it with a few well-practised pulls of his hand. "Wanna scoot a little closer?"

Richard did, one hand still firmly on the back of Lee's neck as he positioned and began lowering himself onto Lee's cock, pressing down until the muscle began to yield and stretch around the head. "Ohhh, fuck," Richard moaned, discomfort pulling deep furrows in his face.

"It's okay, you're okay." Lee petted Richard's thigh in soothing circles. "You can take it, baby. Just go slow."

Richard's eyes widened as he sank down into his lap inch by inch, staring at Lee who could only stare back, marveling at the multitude of expressions flickering across Richard's face, from pain to pleasure and every nuance in between. Eventually he let go of his cock and placed both hands on Richard's waist, watching in awe as the older man shifted lower, willing his body to accept all of Lee inside. "That's it," Lee murmured amid a stream of nonsensical encouragements. "You feel so good, Rich, so incredible. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Richard said, in what was little more than a breathy gasp. "God, Lee, this feels so strange but I love it, I love your cock inside me."

Lee increased his grip on Richard's waist, encouraging him to lift up. "It will get easier," he promised. It was tempting to watch his cock reappearing from Richard's body, but he watched Richard's face instead, the teethy grimace that accompanied a hiss and a moan as Lee's hands steadied him on the very tip of his waiting cock. Poised like that, Richard stared at Lee with eyes slightly glazed over. He was trembling, twitching, chomping at the bit to move back down, but Lee prevented him with a squeeze of his hands; not to be cruel, but to let anticipation build just a little longer. "Kiss me," he said, and it was as if Richard had been waiting for the command, for the next moment their mouths were pressed together hungrily, open and wet, tongues fighting for control. Richard tangled his fingers into Lee's hair and pulled his head back, using his gasp to claim the win. At the same time, he took advantage of Lee's slackened grip to roll his hips down, filling himself back up with Lee's cock.

It was all systems go from that point on, as Richard set an eager pace of lifting up and slamming down, measuring his thrusts so that the connection remained intact on every upward stroke. Gradually the lines of discomfort eased from his face, making way for an expression of utter rapture to match the impassioned moans issuing from his mouth. He tried different speeds and angles, eventually changing position to lean back on his hands and brace his feet wide somewhere behind Lee. The way he swiveled and fucked himself on Lee's cock, with his own prick bouncing enthusiastically between his legs was amazing to watch, but the longer it went on, the more Lee ached to be the one doing the fucking. He slipped one arm around Richard's waist and pulled his legs up under him, tipping them both over. Richard landed on the bed with an _oomph_ of surprise but yielded easily, lifting his legs for Lee to grab and spread wide. "Oh god yes fuck me," he rasped in that sexy deep voice that had Lee's mind going foggy with a primal need that drove out any rational thought.

Lee planted his knees in the bed and sank himself in to the hilt right away, moaning at the hot clench and yield of Richard's body around him. Richard put his arms above his head in a pose of surrender, clutching at the sheets to anchor himself as his body was rocked back and forth by Lee's thrusts. Every muscle, every tendon in his body was pulled taut, trembling with the strain. "Oh god Lee so good," he panted, lips loosened by the euphoric frenzy of their mating. "So fucking good, baby. Give it to me harder, come on."

Lee grunted and responded to Richard's pleas, fucking in harder, deeper. He let go of Richard's legs and felt them wrap around his waist as he leaned forward on his arms, making sure to keep aiming his thrusts right. Richard was slowly coming undone under him and he wasn't far behind, so caught up in the ecstasy of it all that he almost missed Richard's next words, barely distinguishable between his groans and gasps.

"Fuck me, Lee, ah, don't stop, I fucking love you, I'm gonna come so hard." Richard's eyes blazed as he arched up and then fell back, heels digging into Lee's ass to pull him in deeper. Lee let out a moan of near-desperation and fucked him ruthlessly, burying his face against Richard's shoulder as they both fell over the edge and climaxed almost simultaneously, twitching and jolting and pressing their bodies together in a frenzied attempt to meld into one. They were slick with sweat and Richard's come, but Lee didn't care; when his arms gave out, he just collapsed on top of Richard and allowed himself to go completely limp. Every fiber of his body felt liquified, thrumming with that tired, pleasant energy that only came with a really good fuck.

Later, as they lay front to back - with Lee being the big spoon and Richard the small - Richard murmured, "About that thing I let slip earlier..."

Lee knew immediately what he meant. "Yeees?"

"Any chance you could pretend you didn't hear that?"

"Why? Didn't you mean it?" Lee chuckled low. "Because you told me to fuck you in the same breath, and I'm pretty sure you meant _that_."

"No, I meant it." Richard cleared his throat. "I just... didn't mean for it to come out that way, in that moment. That is not how I had planned to say it, the first time."

"You and your need to plan everything." Lee kissed Richard's neck affectionately and pulled him a little closer. "It was fine this way, Rich, really. Let's not make a big deal out of it. As long as you meant it, as something more than a heat-of-the-moment thing, that's all that counts."

"Of course I meant it." A brief pause. "Hey, Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"You can send that picture to your sister, if you want. I don't mind. Shouldn't have made a fuss about it in the first place."

Lee smiled into Richard's hair. "Thanks, but I'm in no rush to do anything right now. Sue can wait. And just so you know, Rich..."

"Hmm?"

"I fucking love you, too."


	16. Statues Will Not Cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter... :(

_three weeks later_

 

"I won't be coming inside," Richard said as he switched off the engine and put his hands in his lap, gazing at them absent-mindedly. "I'm really terrible at goodbyes, especially in public."

Lee gave him a look of surprise. "Really? You drove all this way just to drop me off and turn right back? You don't have to walk me to the gate but let me at least buy you a cup of coffee and a sandwich."

"I'll pick something up on the way back." Richard met his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry, Lee. Better to rip that band aid right off and say our goodbyes here, in private. No one wants to see a grown man cry. It's not dignified and just plain embarrassing."

"That's bullshit, Rich. It's twenty-fucking-eleven, for God's sake. You can't turn on the telly these days without seeing crying men."

"In America perhaps. In England, no."

Lee turned his head and gazed out the window, contemplating the Kiss & Drive sign until his disappointment subsided. He didn't want to spend his last minutes with Richard arguing about their cultural differences. "I'll call you after I land in Austin," he said in a fake-cheerful tone. He had decided to spend Christmas with his sister's family before returning to New York and the apartment that would be too big for him now.

Richard nodded. "They're picking you up from the airport, right?"

"Yeah."

"That's good."

A silence fell. Lee saw the dashboard clock changing to 12.40 PM, meaning that he had forty minutes left to check in his luggage. He told himself that he had much to look forward to: holidays with the family, Carl, some interesting projects lined up in the new year and finally, three more months of filming in New Zealand. But it was no use; he felt just as fucking miserable as Richard looked.

One of Richard's hands moved across to grab Lee's. "Whatever happens after this, Lee, I want you to know that these past two months have surpassed everything I ever expected from my time down here, and my expectations were pretty darn high to begin with. I am so grateful to have met you. Thank you for putting up with this grumpy old Englishman, and for making him a little less grumpy along the way."

"Oh, damn it," Lee breathed as he leaned in and pulled Richard's mouth to his, squeezing his eyes shut tight to force back the sudden wetness of tears. After a long, desperate kiss, he put his forehead against Richard's, breathing him in. "It's me who should be thanking you. This could have been such a miserable, lonely time for me, but then there you were. I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for you."

Richard took Lee's face between his hands and more kisses followed, until only 28 minutes were left and Lee knew he couldn't put it off any longer. "I gotta go, Rich. I really shouldn't miss this flight."

Richard nodded and stole one last kiss before sitting back. "Yeah, you should go."

"Hold that thought, though." Lee smiled. "Hold it until August next year."

Somehow Richard found it in him to smile back. "I will. Have a safe trip, Lee. Talk to you soon."

With a herculean effort, Lee tore himself away and opened the car door to step into the familiar hustle and bustle of an international airport. He knew that atmosphere well, thrived on it to an extent, but today he just wanted to sink into his airline seat and be left alone with his thoughts. He lifted his suitcase from the trunk, shouldered his carry-on backpack and, with one last look back at the trusty Corolla and the still, obscured figure inside it, began the long, lonely walk to the departures hall of Auckland Airport.

It didn't take much time to find the check-in counter for the flight to Los Angeles, his layover on the way to Austin. Two or three people were waiting in line, so he took his place in the queue and got his phone out to message Sue and let her know that he was about to check in. As he scrolled through the messages history, he stumbled across the two pictures he had sent her after they got back from their trip to the south: the breakfast table, accompanied by the caption _Look what my perfect boyfriend made me!_ and the picture of Richard with his messy morning hair. _And here is the man himself._

 _OMG!_ Sue had written back. _Is Mr. Smolder wearing your sweater? Must be getting serious. :)_

_Maybe. Are you happy 4 me?  
_

_Of course I am BB! Just don't fall in love too quickly, OK? xo  
_

_Too late. Sorry. xLee_

Lee opened his gallery of pictures and found the photo of himself and Richard at the seal colony, their grins jumping right off the screen. After a brief hesitation, he gave in to sentimentality and installed it as his background picture, replacing the shot of Carl that had served that purpose for three months.

The queue moved quickly, and Lee tucked his phone away to grab his ticket and passport as he approached the counter.

"Good afternoon, sir," the ground stewardess told him as she took his documents. "How are you today?"

"I'm good, thanks," he replied, eyes darting down to her name tag, which read _Diane_ under the Air New Zealand logo. "Sad to be leaving New Zealand, though."

"Did you enjoy your stay?"

"Tremendously. Can't wait to come back next year."

She gave him a smile and opened his passport. "And where will you be flying with us today, Mr. Pace?"

"Los Angeles, and then on to Austin, Texas. I'm going to spend the holidays with my sister's family there." He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket; that was probably Sue's reply to his text.

"Lovely." She got on the computer. "Would you like a window or aisle seat?"

"Aisle, please." Out of sheer habit, he fished his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen. The message was not from Sue; it was from Richard, and it was short, only two words.

_Don't go!_

He stared at the text for a moment or two, trying to make sense of it. Then he glanced over his shoulder, expecting against his better knowledge to see Richard, but the check-in counters were in a passengers-only part of the airport. He looked at his phone again. Even when texting, Richard was a man of few words, but the urgency in this succinct message was not to be overlooked.

"Sir? Your luggage?"

Lee looked up. "What?"

"Please put your suitcase on the conveyor belt for check-in, sir."

Automatically he moved to obey, but he stopped halfway and put the suitcase down again. "Sorry, Diane, but uh... I gotta run back really quick. I forgot something. I'll be back."

"But sir, check-in closes in 15 minutes."

"I know. I won't be long." He grabbed his passport and ticket and retraced his steps to the departures hall, not quite running but walking as fast as his legs would allow. This was one of those few times when he thanked the powers that be for his height, and he scanned the crowds for the one who had sent that strange message.

Richard was standing at the very entrance to the check-in hall, separated from Lee by a rope gate that cordoned off the passengers-only area. He sagged visibly with relief when Lee walked into his line of view. "Oh thank God, you haven't gone through Customs yet."

"Why did you send me that message?" Lee asked, holding out his phone and realizing too late that Richard would see the new background picture. "What do you mean, don't go? You know I have to."

"No, you don't," Richard said, going on to rattle off a speech he had clearly prepared. "Sorry, I know this feels like a bad sitcom cliché, but I want you to stay here, I want you to spend Christmas and New Year's with me. We can take another roap trip, do whatever we want. Call your sister and book another flight in January."

"Rich." Lee sighed and shook his head. "That's impossible. Maybe I could get away with that if it was just Sue. But I can't disappoint the kids, especially at Christmas. I love you, but I have to go."

Richard seemed to shrink an inch or two as what little hope he may have had left him, and he glanced down at his shoes. "Yeah... I understand. Of course you have to go. I was being selfish and didn't think of the little ones, sorry."

As he looked at Richard's bowed head, Lee felt something reckless welling up inside him. "Come with me."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Come with me to Texas," Lee repeated in a stronger voice, his excitement about the idea growing with every word. "Don't spend Christmas in a trailer. Book a seat on my flight, or the next one for all I care. Sue will put us both up, and after Christmas you can stay in New York with me for New Year's, meet Carl and keep me company in that bare apartment."

"Lee, that's crazy," Richard protested half-heartedly, even though his eyes showed how badly he wanted to step across that rope. "All I have with me are the clothes on my body and my wallet. I'm not prepared for winter in Texas."

Lee waved these objections away. "So? Texas has shops, we'll buy you stuff. Maybe Santa will put a nice warm sweater under the Christmas tree for you. Do you have your passport?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Well, what more do you need?" Lee grabbed his hand. "Come on, Richard. We have about ten minutes left to check in and get you a ticket. No more _buts_ and _what-ifs_. What's it going to be?"

***

Diane smiled when she saw Lee returning to her counter with about seven minutes left on the clock. "Cutting it close, Mr. Pace. So you will be boarding the flight, then?"

"I will." Lee lifted his suitcase onto the conveyer belt. "And I won't be alone, as it turns out. Could you check, Diane, if there are any seats left on the flight?"

"Of course, sir, I'll do that right now." She shifted her gaze to Richard. "Do you carry any luggage, sir?"

"No, ma'am," Richard replied as he and Lee smiled at one another. "I'll be traveling light today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sad to have finished this story! I've become really fond of these guys. I'll definitely consider writing more about them, if the right idea comes along. Feel free to share suggestions/prompts in the comments!
> 
> Thank you all for reading! <3


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